The Angels Rejoiced Last Night
by See That Guy
Summary: After an unfortunate meeting with a car, a young man struggles to survive in a land entirely unfamiliar to him. With two fugitives on the loose and his inadvertant assistance of the legendary Latias, he is caught in a conflict as history repeats itself.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

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><p><strong>"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter."<strong>

**-Winston Churchill**

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><p>I'm not from around here.<p>

It's the statement I've been using for what feels like forever. What does it tell you? Not much, huh? No name, original location, age, etc.

I use that phrase so often because it's easier than risking being sent to Altomare's cushy little mental hospital. I mean, it's better than telling the truth, you see?

I'm not from around here. Does that mean I'm from the mainland? No. Does it mean I'm from a different city? Nope. Does it mean I'm from a different region? Nah. Does it mean I'm from a different country? Not necessarily.

Does it mean I'm from a different existance; a different reality? I can't say that out loud or someone will declare me cuckoo for Coco Puffs and off I go. (Although, presently I can't say that out loud even if I wanted to.)

What I know is, I'm here now. What I _don't_ know is why; what sent me here? I don't think it was a supernatural event; I'm not some special guy sent to save a galaxy or something. I know for damn sure I'm not here to break some horrible evil; hell, most days I can't break a five.

The best I can figure is I stumbled across a glitch in my matrix; that is, I learned that the multiverse theory is true. I've read a few stories of people stumbling into other dimensions, but they remain conscious when they land and can start wandering immediately.

When I woke up, it felt like somebody smashed the back of my head with a length of 2' by 4'. I had been hit by a car.

I should probably explain some more. I was some college student almost into his second year with a good GPA. My primary concerns were whether or not I'd score high enough to be exempt from my Statistics final (I really, _really_ didn't want to take the Statistics final), and whether I'd get decent courses for next semester or not.

Obviously, I stopped caring about that sort of stuff once I realized I wasn't familiar with my surroundings anymore.

Left with only my school backpack, binder, ipod, and headphones, I had to figure out some way to survive in a world where nothing I knew made sense anymore.

I lived in a world ruled by greed and hatred. Now, I was in a world ruled by much more powerful figures.

I remember my first wasn't the best of days.

-.-

"...And one more time: Please don't 'do it' in the planetarium. I've already caught two people trying to do it; I waited for things to get a little bit faster, and then I stopped them. Your planetarium exam is in three weeks, so now's the time to study, not screw."

It was almost seven years ago. That's the statement one of my professors let us out of class with. I was concerned for the exam, primarily because it required my memorization of every constellation and even certain stars in those constellations. Imagine looking up at a clear night sky and having someone point to a cluster of stars and go "What's this constellation?" That's what I was looking forward to.

In hindsight, I realize that I was stressing out about something that didn't make much of a difference in the long run. Failure is, after all, always an option. As I walked back home, I was trying to think of how I'd prepare for the exam. My professor was kind enough to give us a list of stars and constellations to study, and he assured us all that he would only use those on the paper he gave us. I made the decision to look up the constellations and make index cards once I got home. I could study what they look like.

Still, deep down I knew that I needed to know more than what the constellations looked like. I needed to know where in the sky they were located, and I was not willing to go to the planetarium (I didn't have much time to, anyway. I also had a 15 page report due in another class) to study.

While I was walking, my mind was working on ways to get me through this semester. I had a submarine grade in one course (a submarine grade is any grade below C level), and I wasn't willing to accept a D.

Maybe if I had been paying a little more attention I would've been able to see the Mercedes tearing down the street at around 90. Instead, I was listening to my ipod and wondering how I was going to get myself a decent grade. I wasn't willing to let my GPA fall.

By the time I returned to reality, however, the Mercedes' horn had been blaring for a while, and the way the guy was moving around in it, I could tell he was having a problem with his brakes. Either that, or he was some asshole getting off to a song. All I know is, I looked up about a moment before the car hit me.

Oddly enough, the collision didn't hurt so much. I was out almost immediately.

Suddenly my grades didn't seem like so much of a problem anymore.

End of Prologue

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><p><strong>This is one of those things where I'm not sure if it will continue, nor am I quite certain what I was thinking. It depends on review: If anyone likes it, alright then. If not, well, this story will go into the vault of stories that time forgot.<strong>

**Assume that this guy (his name is revealed sometime next chapter) lives in a world where the pokémon franchise does not exist. **


	2. Welcome to Altomare

**Chapter 1**

**Welcome to Altomare**

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><p><strong>"You can watch things happen, you can make things happen, or you can wonder what the f**k happened."<strong>

**-Phil Harris**

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><p>I never drank before, but I've done drugs in the past. I don't know for sure what a hangover is like, but I've seen people suffering through them before. My head was pounding and I was breaking out in a cold sweat. It wasn't the sweat thing that made me uncomfortable, it was the headache. I never had anything so bad before. The only sources of comfort for me was the fact that my heart was still beating, and none of my bones felt broken. It was as if I never got hit in the first place.<p>

I remember that for a moment, I thought I _didn't_ get hit. I thought that it was a weird dream. It would make sense, after all. I've had a few weird ones before.

I forced my eyes to open and regretted it instantly. The sun was staring down at me and I was laying on a bench. I could hear people chatting here and there and I even heard a few sounds (kind of like animal calls) that I was not familiar with. I covered my eyes again and got into a sitting position.

Once I sat down, my headache faded a little. The sun must've had something to do with it. I looked around to get my bearings, and my heart starting racing and I started hyperventilating.

_...Oh, dude... what the hell?_

I don't live near the water. Furthermore, I don't live in a city. I was in what appeared to be a town square of some kind. In front of the bench I was sitting on was a big fountain, and I could see a water spigot not far from it. Instead of roads, canals with many boats outlined the city.

I was shaking now. I still had my backpack, ipod, headphones, and binder. The only thing that told me that this wasn't a dream was the headache; you're not supposed to feel pain in dreams. Also, if it was a dream, the big pile of money I was imagining would be sitting next to me right now.

I didn't know what to do now, and I didn't even bother trying to figure out why I was here. I had no place to sleep, no source of food, I knew nobody in this new city, and most importantly... _I didn't know where I was!_

I had to at least find out where I was, so I walked up to the nearest person and tapped him on the shoulder. Because I was reeling so much, I can't for the life of me remember what this guy looked like.

"Uh, excuse me?"

I remember he turned to face me and said something like "Yes? What is it?"

"I'm a little disoriented. Could you refresh my memory? What's the name of this city?"

I remember the next thing he said perfectly, though. "Why, this is Altomare, soundly protected by its legendary guardians for many years... Are you new around here?"

I walked away. I didn't even say goodbye. I'd never heard of 'Allo-Mayre' before then, and I should have with all the travelling I do, and I certainly didn't know anything about legendary guardians... unless he meant the government, and I don't think he did.

I couldn't think of anything else to do. My heart was still pounding. Every step shook. My mind raced. Every story I heard of people ending up in places they didn't belong, they usually got up and started doing things right away. That's not the truth.

When you wake up in a land where you know nobody; you are nobody... everything changes. You're lost. You're not worrying about an inconvenience. You're in a survival situation; a unique one. You can find other people anywhere you turn... but you're not lost. Nobody will believe that you just woke up wherever you are. You can't get handouts.

To survive this sort of situation requires a different level of strategy. You need money, and you need to find ways to make connections.

I just wandered around the city for hours, passing by animals that looked and behaved strangely. I saw a few foxes, big yellow mice, purple cats- hell, I thought I saw a monkey with a hand on its tail, but I wasn't dead sure that it wasn't my mind playing tricks on me.

I was carrying my binder and backpack; my headphones were around my neck. I started debating whether or not I could sell my notes. I had a few formulas in my notebook that might make it a little valuable. I also had school books I might be able to sell.

While I thought, I unconsciously walked into a big museum. After having a few hours to calm my nerves, I wasn't shaking so much anymore.

The museum was very large, and yet I was one of the only visitors. It was me, the curator, two guards, two guard dogs, and a brown haired girl around my age painting something. Since everyone else belonged there, I was the only visitor.

Looking back, it was pretty rude to laugh the moment the curator turned to greet me, but I couldn't help it. He showed some patience with me, though.

"A visitor on a Wednesday afternoon? My, we don't often get business in the middle of the week... Oh, forgive me. I take it you're here for a tour?"

I nodded, still smiling a little.

"Yes, sir."

"Is there something funny?"

I shook my head. "Nah, it's just... you remind me of someone- well, two people. Not important."

The curator reminded me of the guy on the _Monopoly_ box mixed with an older Mario.

Well, Super Mario smiled and offered a hand, which I shook.

"My name is Lorenzo, curator of this fine museum. And you are?"

(I still had every intention of calling him Mario).

I managed to get the stupid smile off my face. "Yeah, nice to meet you. Name's Sly. Sly Stevens."

Mario turned to face the museum. Before us was an enormous machine whose shape I can't describe. Two big orange dogs standing with two security guards kept close watch on the big machine. One of the dogs was glaring at me. I made a mental note to ask Mario about the weird looking creatures I've been seeing. He acted as if they were a common sight.

"This big device is simply called the "Defense Mechanism". It does as the name implies: defends Altomare. As you can see, it's under heavy watch. Surely you've heard of the attack on it about nine years ago, right?"

"I don't think so. Nine years ago I was too busy failing fifth grade to care about current events."

Mario actually faltered a little. "You never heard the story?"

I shook my head. "So far, all I know about this city is that there's these legendary guardians and animals I have never seen before. By the way, I think your guard dogs are sick. Their coats are all funny."

Mario glanced at the dogs. "The arcanines? No, they're fine. What do you see wrong with their coats?"

I blinked. "They're _orange_."

Mario actually took a step back in surprise. "You've never seen an arcanine?"

I slowly shook my head. "Nope, but I have seen a big yellow rodent, and I'm not so sure but I think I saw a monkey with a hand on its tail. I'm not crazy."

"I certainly don't think you're crazy. I think you're a little confused."

"I know what I saw."

"So do I. In fact, we see them everyday... where are you from?"

"Oh, here and there."

Mario turned to face me. "I need to know if you're from the mainland so I can figure out what's going on."  
>"Dude, I don't even know what's true or not true anymore... look, this was a mistake. Sorry I came in here."<p>

I turned to leave, but Mario's voice stopped me again.

"Sly, wait. I won't pursue this matter any further if it makes a visitor to our city uncomfortable. Let me just tell you the legend of Altomare before you leave. Maybe it will help clear up any confusion you might have."

I relented and took a seat. I could feel the brown-haired girl glance at me once in a while, but other than that I felt confusion. A whole lot of confusion.

The legend basically went like this:

A long time ago, shit hit the fan in the city, and evil things called "Pokémon" attacked. To counter the problem, two guardians flooded the streets and made the canals. FIN.

Now, I didn't get everything he said because of that Attention-Deficit thing I've got. If I listened better, I could've avoided the conversation that followed.

I got "evil creatures" and "Pokémon" in the same sentence. I thought Mario meant that all Pokémon are evil. When he went on to say that people train them, I asked him why people would train evil creatures.

His response was a very confused "What?"

"Well, I mean... the legend was that the evil creatures drowned, right?"

"That's right."

"Why are people training the evil creatures, and moreover, how if they're all dead?"

"Okay, I don't think you have the right idea. The evil Pokémon are all dead."

I pointed to one of the orange dogs. "Is that a Pokémon?" I asked.

Mario nodded. "Yes, that's an Arcanine."

"Well, the water missed two of them."

"No, they were not around when the flood occurred."

"But their ancestors were?"

Mario nodded.

"Okay, I'm really confused now. Could you run the whole thing by me one more time?"

I wasn't lying about the good GPA by the way. This whole thing just flew over my head.

The second time he told the story, I got it. The evil creatures that attacked the town were Pokémon, and other Pokémon (Mario called them legendaries named Latios and Latias or something) stopped them.

"...And now, our town is guarded by Latias, as her brother passed away nine years ago. Does that make things clear?"

I nodded. "One thing is certainly clear."

"What is that?"

"I'm clearly an idiot."

Mario chuckled a little.

"You misunderstood is all."

"Well, thank you for telling me the story. That helped a little. Now I'm off."

I stood up and started walking towards the exit.

"Come back anytime, Sly!" called Mario from the chairs. I waved a hand and walked out the door.

I did a little mental math as I walked some more. I was in an unknown land with creatures that looked like wacked out animals, a man that looked like Mario and the Monopoly Guy, and I had no way of making money. My ID could have helped me... had I not forgotten it on my kitchen table before leaving for school.

No ID means no shelter. No wallet means no money.

I started looking around for a homeless shelter, but nobody would believe that I was homeless; my clothes were too clean and I was carrying around books. Most people I asked thought I was trying to get a free handout and ignored me; others threatened to fight me if I didn't stop acting like a jerk.

I remember that I actually said "Bring it on!" to one guy after getting annoyed. He took out a red and white ball and stared at me.

I gestured to the ball. "...So, what? Are we going to play a game of baseball or something?"

"What? No, take yours out."

I paused.

"...Wait, _what?_"

"We're going to have a battle!"

"...Wait, is this dodgeball? Is that what we're doing?"

"Choose a pokémon already!"

The little light went on in my head when he said that.

"Oh! Oh... Yeah, sorry dude. I don't... uhh..."

"Train?"

"Right! Yeah, I don't... do... that."

"...Well, we can't settle this without a battle."

"There's the coin flip," I offerred. He shook his head.

"Nah, that's not exciting enough."

"What if we make it exciting?"

The guy stared at me. "How do you mean?"

"A little gamble," I said. "If it's heads, you keep your money and take all of mine. If it's tails, I get all your money. Sound exciting now?"

He nodded eagerly. "Very!"

I'm not usually one for making trouble, by the way. Yeah, I hustled the guy... but I needed the cash. Plus, the way I worded the gamble saved me from losing anything- wow, I'm a real jerk, aren't I?

He took out his own coin, claiming that he was afraid I'd cheat. He flipped it... and luck was on my side.

I walked away what I thought was a lot of money at the time. Turns out, 250 moneys (I call currency moneys; it's my thing) isn't a lot.

At the time, I thought I had enough for around four days at a cheap hotel if I didn't eat, and enough for two if I did. It turned out I had enough for one night with a small breakfast at a place called a "Pokémon Center". It's pretty much a vet's office or an animal hospital. With beds. And food.

I found out by asking around, though I made sure to avoid any sign of the guy I hustled. By the time I got directions, it was around 7 in the evening. I left for the center.

When I walked in the room I was greeted by various cries and a few scattered people waiting. Whoever owned the center wasn't at the desk in the middle, so I took a seat, too.

I sat next to some guy that was giving me a look. I gestured to my binder.

"Hey, man. Want to buy my statistics notes?"

He kept staring at me. I nodded and looked straight ahead.

"Nobody ever does," I muttered.

I was sitting there for about an hour before a nurse got to the desk. She was a red-head and her nametag said "Joy" on it. She was pretty, too. I took a minute to wonder how many guys she's been with, and how many more had hit on her.

"Hi! Welcome to the Altomare Pokémon Center! My name is Joy, how can I help you?"

She offered a hand for me to shake, which I took. "Hi, uhh... Nurse Ratched. Name's Sly. I was told your center was the place to look for a room for the night?"

Nurse Joy (or Ratched as I cutely renamed her) paused for a moment at my joke, but ignored it and smiled. "Yes, we have a room available plus a breakfast for 200 dollars."

I took a step back. "200 for one night?" Ratched misunderstood my surprise.

"It's a great deal, no? Any hotel would charge you between 400 and 600 a night, assuming you aren't a trainer."

I scratched the back of my head. _Sheesh, hyperinflation's a bitch._

"...Wait, assuming I'm not a trainer? Do they get some kind of discount?"

"No, there's no charge for trainers."

"No charge?"

"Are you a trainer?" she asked patiently. I shook my head.

"Nope, but now I'm wishing I was," I muttered. With those words, I put the 200 moneys down on the desk and she gave me a key with "4A" engraved on it.

"Your room is down the hall to your right. And by the way, I can make a Trainer's License for you for 500 dollars more. It covers the photo, identification, insurance, and lamination. Interested?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, I don't have that kind of money."

She frowned. "Oh, well, that's alright then! Breakfast will be served at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Until then, enjoy your stay!"

I didn't really say anything back to her. I just wanted to lie down and think. The gravity of my situation was coming around again, and I didn't want to be in public if I broke down crying or shouted something that involved the 'F-dash-dash-dash' word.

The room she rented me was big enough to support up to two people. It had a double bed, two nightstands, a bathroom, a TV, and a small table. Above the bed was a picture of that ball the guy took out before. I didn't really understand what the ball had to do with the creatures in the land, though. I figured they attracted them, or something.

I still didn't want to be reminded of my predicament, so I took down the picture, and then I turned around and saw a picture of Latios and Latias (Mario described what they looked like as if he met them) above the television set.

"Oh, you've got to be-" I said to myself. I leaned over the TV and took that picture down, too.

After I did that stuff, I got a drink of water from the tap in the bathroom, and then I lay down on the bed. Since I knew sleep wouldn't be happening short of a tranquilizer, I decided to see what I could learn about my new environment off the TV.

Interestingly enough, the TV wasn't tuned to something Pokémon related. Rather, it was some kind of show involving spies and government agents. I still take _Burn Notice_ over whatever it was, though.

For a while, I flipped through the channels to get an idea of what was going on. I watched a little bit of something called _Pokémon Safari, Pokéballs and You,_ and I even watched a special called _Soap and Muk_. It was a special about a bar of soap and what, if anything, happened if you gave it to something called _Muk._

I had to watch it. I remember once seeing a show on the air at home about mules and donkeys. How do you turn that off?

After I finished acqauinting myself, I had something of an understanding of what was going on. The ball that guy held out to me earlier actually _held_ a pokémon inside it. I don't know how. It did, though. That blew me away, but it seemed like a common thing here.

I also learned that there are safaris you can go on to catch as many pokémon as you can- with those ball things. Even on those days you catch me meditating, you can bet that the science involved in making those things is amazing me.

Oh, and I learned that if you put a bar of soap on "Muk"... nothing happens. Maybe it eyes you curiously for a second, but that's about it.

After I turned off the TV, I lay back in the bed.

Everything hit me again, except the car. I wondered what would have happened if I wasn't so careless. Here I was, without identification. I can't find work without identification, and I don't have money to stay for another night in this place! Also, I have breakfast for tomorrow, but that's it.

I was stuck. I had no idea of what I should do tomorrow. There was no explaining what happened to anyone else. It also didn't help that my family was no doubt worried sick by now... unless I was really dead and this was the afterlife or something.

My eyes widened and I felt my pulse, after which I relaxed.

_Nah, I'm still kicking..._

I thought I could walk around tomorrow and try to find a way to make money, but I couldn't think of a single place that wouldn't require ID. I also knew better than to openly steal money, because for all I knew, I could be stealing from the guy that lets a big orange dog loose on me. Besides, I'm not a good thief.

I never thought I'd get to sleep that night, but all at once I felt tired, and I had to shut my eyes.

I remember that when I woke up, the window that was originally closed was now open.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>3,358 words. Interesting now, right? Right? No?<strong>

**Everybody knows mules have a terrific sense of humor.**

**Oh, and I'm not sure anymore. Is it "Alto Mare" or just "Altomare"? I've kind of got all my eggs in the "Altomare" basket.**

**Next chapter covers Sly getting beaten up. There's more to it than that, but... that's the part I can't wait for.**


	3. The Leaf Head Was Wintergreen

**Chapter 2**

**The Leaf-Head was Wintergreen**

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><p><strong>"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."<strong>

**-Albert Einstein**

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><p>I had to leave after breakfast since I could not afford another night, and so I needed to find someone that might buy my books. They were pretty much worthless to me now. The clouds rolled in sometime during the night. Before I left, I made sure to put the paintings back on the walls and shut the window.<p>

"Thank you for your stay, and come again soon!" chirped the Nurse. I waved as I walked out the door.

"Thanks, goodbye."

I started wandering around town some more trying to find a smart looking fellow, but everyone I came across that looked remotely smart was only interested in one thing: battling.

I learned that a battle is basically a fight between two pokémon. The humans shout commands. That's all. The pokémon fight until one passes out. That seemed awful when I thought about it. I even remember watching a battle that I stumbled into while I was walking. It was a little blue alligator that sounded like a kid I once knew vs a four legged creature with a leaf on its head. I called the little blue alligator Ryan because that's the name of the kid he sounded like.

_My name is Ryan and I'm a potato!_

The leaf-head was Wintergreen.

I was, however, impressed with what Ryan and Wintergreen could do. Ryan could shoot water out of his mouth; Wintergreen could make leaves and throw them at Ryan. Ultimately, the former lost.

Honestly, I didn't understand what was so special about it. The whole town was obsessed with training/battling. I wouldn't openly complain about it, though. I'm not a PETA member.

Once the battle was over, I decided to walk back to town square and find someone to gamble with, considering nobody was interested in buying my text books. The idea was to take the 50 moneys I had and double it, then take the 100 and double it. I'm pretty good at gambling, but if I lost the 50, that was it.

Rather than do the coin toss, this time I made a game. I took three index cards from my binder and drew a big "X" on one of them, then I folded them all vertically. All I needed was a flat surface, and I could have a game. It beat the hell out of asking people to buy my books.

Well, after I almost got lost, I picked up the trail and found my way to the square. By the time I reached it, it was still kind of early, so only a few people were out. I decided to lay on the bench and read through my notes.

...Seriously, who wouldn't want this stuff?

I got bored of reading them relatively quickly and just decided to wait for a while. There was only one person there, and I recognized her from the museum. She was painting again.

I kind of wanted to screw with her and pretend to pose for a portrait, but she was walking distance from me and I was comfortable. Also, I didn't want to insult her and get Mario mad at me, or else he might get a fire flower and go Mushroom Kingdom on my ass.

She saw me looking at her, lost interest, and then did a double take. She blinked, as if she were trying to register who I was, and then it clicked. She put whatever she was painting down and started walking towards me.

I sat up and waited for her, looking around for an exit should I say something insulting (as I've been known to do).

"Hi," she said. "Aren't you that guy that walked into my grandfather's museum yesterday?"

I faked a smile.

"...Was I the only one?"

She sat down on the bench.

"Yeah, actually. Nobody comes on a Wednesday. Grandpa said that you didn't know what an Arcanine was."

"I didn't know what a pokémon was," I said. She stared.

We were both silent for a second, and then started laughing.

"Ha ha, very funny," she said.

I nodded while smiling, "Yeah, I thought so..."

..._You don't know the half of it, lady._

"...So, you're new to Altomare, then? Why didn't you stay for the entire tour?"

I shrugged. "Because I had nowhere to go and needed money, so I hustled someone."

She smiled again. "You certainly have an interesting sense of humor."

"Interesting... insulting... same difference. Name's Sly," I said, holding out a hand. She shook it.

"My name is Bianca."

I can't give her a nickname because she already has one. When I hear "Bianca", I think of a sword by the same name. Giving her another nickname would cancel out the first.

"Well, what can I do for you, Bianca?"

"You _could_ come by the museum later today and finish the tour. If you're new to Altomare, you'll want to know some more about it. More than just the legend and the defense mechanism, anyway."

I thought for a minute. On one hand, that's time I could be spending to make (or lose) more money. On the other hand, I wanted to see Mario again. I could really use a laugh, and what's better than getting a cheap laugh off others? I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll come by."

She smiled. "Great! We'll see you at around, say, two-ish?"

I nodded again. "Sounds good. How do I get there? I forget."

She pointed towards one road. "Follow that road all the way to the end, make a left, and follow _that_ road all the way down."

"Alright, see you then."

She got up and walked back to where she was painting. Meanwhile, I started setting up shop where she wouldn't see me.

X_X

"We don't... take kindly... to hustlers around here!" shouted one guy I pissed off between punches. He let me drop to the floor and took the money.

"You agreed to the bet," I groaned. He came back and kicked me.

"Just shut it and stay down. I'll have my Typhlosion fry you next time."

"Dude, I don't know what the hell that means... damn, that was a good kick..."

He hit me one more time. "Just shut up already..."

"Give me my money back," I moaned. "You don't have a chance."

He was about to kick me but paused.

"...Wait, _I _don't have a chance?"

"I wasn't listening to what came out of my mouth," I muttered. He hit me one more time and started to walk off... until I shot my mouth off again.

"Yeah, you better keep walking..."

He came back and kicked me one more time. I let out a loud yelp and a groan.

"What kind of kick was that- why can't I stop?"

After a few more kicks he finally left, and I was left on the ground.

So how did I end up lying in pain on the ground in an alley? Well, I was winning and losing at my little game. I was up to around 350 moneys, and then this one guy comes along and bets 200. Bianca was long gone by now, so that's good. I didn't want to be bailed out by a painting stranger, and moreover I didn't want her pissed off at me since she knew the museum curator; he was the most patient with me out of everyone I met besides Nurse Ratched.

Well, it was best two out of three. The first time I lost; the second he lost. Then the third game came around and I won again. He handed over the money, and as he walked away, he did some calculations in his head.

He turned toward me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me to an alleyway.

Well, there I was; flat broke again.

I just was laying there for a while before somebody helped me up. It's a good thing she did, too. I was prepared to sleep in my fetal position.

"Thanks," I muttered. When I looked at who helped me up, I was surprised.

"I thought you left already," I said. Bianca gave me a mournful smile but didn't say anything.

"...How did you know I was here?" I asked. She just started brushing off my shirt but didn't say a word.

I scoffed. "You _would_ mention that."

She still didn't say anything, but kept smiling.

"...Thanks again, guess I'll see you at two?"

She shook her head. I tilted mine. "What do you mean?"

...

"...Okay, what up with the silent treatment? What did I do?"

She didn't say a word.

"...Am I still coming to the museum at two?"

She nodded.

"...'kay, so did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"...Will you be verbally answering any of my questions?"

She shook her head.

"Am I awesome? If so, don't say a word."

What happened next was a little unusual. She giggled into her hand, but made no sound as she did it.

"...Are you sick or something? If so, I'm going to... take a few steps back."

She shook her head and something dawned on me.

"Are you Bianca?"

She shook her head. I nodded mine, thinking she was a twin sister or something.

"That explains a little. Listen, uhh... thanks for helping me up, I appreciate that."

The next thing she did troubled me for a long while. I took sign language courses since I was in 7th grade. Since then, I've been able to sign and understand. She signed one sentence to me before she ran off.

"I hope you slept well last night."

As I recall, I was frozen to the spot for what felt like hours. Did she know I couldn't sleep last night, or was that just some kind of bizarre courtesy?

When I finally unfroze, I started walking towards the museum. I watched my back the entire time though. I didn't want another beating.

I followed Bianca's directions and found the museum easily. By the time I got there it must have been around two. The confrontation with who I took to calling "2.0" still had me shaken up, though. I made a mental note to ask the original about her.

When I walked in, there were a few more people and Mario was in the middle of a tour. I walked up the to the big metal defense doo-hicky and just stared for a few minutes. After a little bit, I finally shrugged.

"Seriously, what the hell?" I asked. The guards protecting it did not respond.

"Sly?"

I turned around to Bianca, and she let out a gasp in surprise and pointed at my black eye.

"What on Earth happened to you?"

"I was wondering why the water wasn't coming out of the water spigot in town square so I looked inside it. I got too close."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, not my shining moment... listen, I ran into your sister earlier."

"...Excuse me? My... oh, my twin sister?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she helped me up. Wasn't keen on saying too many words, though."

"Yeah, she doesn't talk..."

"What's her name? I have her in my mind as '2.0'."

She blinked. "Tia. Her name is Tia. She's the same age as me."

I nodded. "Right. I like 2.0 better, though."

Bianca smiled. "Well, whatever. Come on, let me show you around some more."

I followed Bianca into another room to look at a map of the city.

"This tour... it won't cost me money, will it? Because I'm on the borderline right now."

Bianca smiled again. "Don't worry, the tour is free. We're tax-exempt."

She pointed to the map. "This map was drawn circa 1205. As you can see, businesses come and go, but town square is exactly what it is today. Additionally, all the canals are as they were in 1205. There are no new canals."

I stared. "You do this _every_ day?"

I followed her to a painting of Latios and Latias. Latios was a creature with wings, two paws, red eyes, and white and blue feathers. Latias was the female version with similar characteristics. Notice I say "similar", not identical. Her feathers are white and red, and her eyes are yellow. Both Latias and Latios have long-ish necks and.. just by the picture, they look both cool and... terrifying. I'd hate to wrong one of them. Bianca mentioned that the feathers are just exaggerated on the painting; she said that those who have seen the two claim that the feathers are very small.

"Latios gave his life nine years ago to save our city. Altomare still mourns his loss."

I nodded. "I wonder how Latias dealt with it," I inquired off-handedly. Bianca shrugged.

"She probably mourned for a while, too. He's still here, looking over the land, though... in spirit. Legend says that Latias, now that she's all alone, wanders the streets safe-guarding peace. She loves all the innocent souls in the city."

"How so?"

Bianca smiled. "They say that Latias can sense when someone is troubled. If it feels really bad, she might go to the person struggling and offer her assistance, though since she hasn't actually revealed herself to a troubled soul it's probably just a legend. On some nights, people who can't sleep suddenly feel very tired and get a good rest. Some people say that it's just exhaustion; others say that it's Latias helping them get to sleep."

I blinked. I was still a little out of it from my beatdown, so those last things she said didn't register with me until later.

"Has anyone ever met her?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, a few people. Some have met Latios, too..."

"Not lately, I'd imagine."

Bianca frowned. "Of course not."

She took me to another picture. The picture she was showing me now was a spherical object that was full of water.

"That's called the Soul Dew. It contains the spirit of Latios- not the painting, of course, but the sphere itself. It keeps the water in Altomare's canals. Without it, the city would be destroyed."

I gulped. "Charming. It's... hidden away, right? Someone might try to steal it."

She nodded. "The only two humans who know where it is are serving life imprisonment in isolation... They stole it and caused that chaos nine years ago."

"Okay, what 'chaos'? I've been hearing about some horrible event nine years ago but nobody goes much further than that. Can you explain it to me?"

"Yes, of course... it goes like this..."

Basically, nine years ago, two thieves found the Soul Ball and jacked it from its hiding spot, and at the same time took Latios away, too. They took both to this museum and activated the defense thing, causing all kinds of trouble; they blocked off some roads and revived two pokémon that drowned in the legend.

Had it not been for some kid and Latias, they could have destroyed the town. By the time they managed to free Latios and the Soul Ball (I like my name better), the latter was too far gone. It was destroyed, and the water all at once retreated from the canals. Water's retraction is the first warning sign that a tsunami is iminent. Next thing everybody knew, a wall of water possibly a mile high was heading for the town. Latios and Latias stopped it, but I can't imagine how. All I know is now there's a new Soul Ball, and it contains the soul of the Latios that died nine years ago, so technically he isn't all the way gone.

That's the story. I wondered where the hell the police were during the whole thing, but once I thought about it, I never saw a single officer in the time that I've been here. I asked about it, and Bianca said that they don't openly wear uniforms. It's harder to commit crimes when you're not sure if someone is a cop or not. She also said that the entire police station was blocked off by the two thieves that used the defense thing.

"...So now, the defense mechanism has twenty-four hour watch, seven days a week. We also have the two thieves in solitary custody for life so they don't pass on the secret of where they found the Soul Dew."

I nodded. "Well, if you ask me, you could've gone for the death penalty, but..."

"Oh, we don't do that stuff. Now, on with the tour- Oh, that reminds me. We have souvenier Soul Dews available. Interested?"

"Well, that's certainly cool, but I wouldn't have anywhere to put it, and knowing me, I'd lose it."

"Okay, suit yourself. Anyway..."

Bianca took me to a picture of what appeared to be a water race.

"This photo is of the Tour de Altomare in 1924. It's a race on water using pokémon. It occurs yearly. You should enter the next race!"

I raised my jacket a little to show her my lack of pokéball things. She nodded.

"Ah, I see. You don't train?"

I shook my head. "I don't really see the point of it. I prefer dealing with my problems personally."

"Yeah, you really showed that water spigot who was boss, huh?"

I flinched. "Don't rub it in."

She led me to a picture of a black-haired boy in a red hat with a yellow mouse thing on his shoulder.

"This... is the boy that saved Altomare. His name was Ash. Had he not been a trainer, he might not have succeeded nine years ago. Still don't see the point of it?"

"I'm just saying, they make problem solvers in the form of guns now, and guns have a delightful way of making problems die."

She sighed. "That's not the point. Training also brings humans and pokémon closer. That's why its done."

"And they like fighting until one passes out?"

She nodded. "For the most part."

I shrugged. "Well, I don't have an interest in it." Bianca nodded.

"Well, you're certainly entitled to your own opinion. Moving on!"

The entire tour took a good hour and a half; the museum was huge. I got a great description of the legend. The best part of the entire tour, however, was my almost getting into a fight with some guy dressed as Latios. He was taking pictures with kids who attended the tour, and I just off-handedly mentioned that his tag was sticking out, and...

Well, he thought I called him a word that sounds like 'tag', but with an 'f'. He shoved me, I shoved him, tempers rose... Bianca pulled me away and Mario demanded that the mascot guy meet him in an office.

She knew I didn't say what the guy accused me of saying, so I got off without trouble. When he came back, though, he had to apologize to me.

At the end of the tour, I thanked Bianca and walked away. For a moment I wanted to walk to the center again, but I remembered that idiot that took my money and let out a sigh. The cloud cover was getting worse. I feared that it would rain soon, so I needed a place to sleep that was out of the rain.

I was wearing a cotton shirt. Cotton is deadly when wet. It just sucks the body heat out and you end up in hypothermia very quickly. If I got caught in the open wearing a cotton shirt and my brown jacket, I'd be in trouble.

I stopped by the water spigot to get a quick drink (pokémon are meant to drink from it, not humans), and I got a few looks while I drank. After I finished, I started looking around for shelter.

I couldn't find anything in town square, so I started checking the alleyways. Here's what I learned:

Do _NOT_ go down alleyways in Altomare unless you know what you're doing, or you have someone with you who knows what he or she is doing. If you're unfamiliar with the town, nothing good comes of it. I was wandering the alleys for an hour and a half. The rain started while I was walking.

I found a stone bench that I could sleep under. While it would not provide the most comfort or the best protection, it would be adequete to keep my body out of the cold rain... at least, I hoped it would be. I put my textbooks under my shirt to try and help keep my body from getting wet (I knew one way or another I'd end up cold), and I used my backpack as a pillow. I slept that night with my jacket zipped up and my hood over my head, clutching my knees to my chest.

Sleeping under a bench with the possibility of hypothermia was certainly a far cry from the cushy room I rented the night prior.

Suddenly, those paintings staring down at me didn't seem like such a bad thing.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>3,442 words.<strong>

**There's a reason behind the T rating, and we saw it demonstrated all over Sly's body. **

**Next chapter covers dangerously high fevers, sore throats, and people with gopher heads.**


	4. That Gopher Headed Family

**Chapter 3**

**That Gopher-Headed Family**

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><p><strong>"If something seems too good to be true, it's best to shoot it just in case."<strong>

**-Gabrielle Anwar**

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><p>My Dad once told me a story of the before-time (before I was born). He used to own a home near a bay, and once in a while he'd have a party. A friend of his that worked for some corporation would always show up in suits, so every time he showed up, my Dad or another friend would find a way to distract him and cut his tie. We'll call suit-man... "Jiffy".<p>

One day, Jiffy got really, really drunk. It was raining outside, and he passed out on the couch in the house. My Dad and his friends proceeded to cover Jiffy in toilet paper and paper towels, pick the couch up, and put it outside in the rain on the front yard.

Jiffy was a mummy by the time he woke up. He was a mummy with a severed tie.

I woke up under similar circumstances. For one thing, a few of my books got wet and the paper stuck to me. Oh, and let's not forget that I was _outside._ When I woke up, the only two things I could think of that were good were the facts that I didn't die, and that nothing I was wearing appeared to be severed.

When I woke up, it was not raining anymore. I was soaked, cramped, my throat hurt... it was bad. On the other hand, I slept like a log.

My cotton shirt was soaked through, yet my precautions limited my exposure. I still had to get out of the wet shirt quickly, so I took it off and put my already wet jacket on. It was the best I could do; I had no change of clothes.

I rolled out from under the bench and just sat on it for a while. Even though I slept through the night, I was totally drained. I was never as miserable as I was that day.

It was a bitter sweet feeling... I found my way out of the alley, but it took a while (I was getting a pretty bad fever and was becoming disoriented). When I got out, I realized that I left my books, backpack, and binder all back at the bench. I decided against getting them, since all they would do is get in the way.

I must've looked like I was dying, because everybody I passed human or otherwise avoided me. I can't say I blame them, though. It felt like each step I took made me feel worse. I didn't know my temperature, but I felt like it was breaking 103, my head was pounding, my throat hurt, and I was coughing a lot.

All I wanted to do was lay down and sleep some more, but I couldn't because I was afraid of sleeping in my wet clothes. Instead, I busied myself with wandering around. For a few moments I was angry at myself for forgetting my backpack and binder, but on the other hand I couldn't really blame myself. I was feeling so weak that I doubted if I could even carry my backpack and binder.

I was actually only semi-conscious as I walked. My fever was becoming serious; I was hallucinating on and off. I was finding it difficult to keep walking, but I wasn't able to stop, either. I was stuck in the motions. I could have sworn I walked through a wall, but I was actually going through a spider web. I was kind of disappointed.

Somewhere along the line, I met a walking piece of bacon that quickly vanished. After it disappeared, I thought I was being attacked by flies, so I started swatting at thin air. That must've been a sight.

One of my hallucinations actually saved my life that day. A hallucination is a false sensory experience: The neurons in the brain misfire and can create scenes or sounds. The longest hallucination I had was of Latios from the legend actually leading my half-conscious body somewhere. I couldn't stop. I had to follow him. It was like that game _Heroin Hero._ It's a game where you chase a dragon while shooting heroin and you never catch it. That's what I was doing, minus, of course, the heroin. I stopped using two years ago when I left my band, but more on that later.

I have no idea how long I followed him for. I just know that if I ever stopped, he'd beckon for me to keep following. The world started fading away and my hallucination was longer than before. The next thing I know, I'm following a legendary guardian through my house. Next, I'm following him through a classroom. Finally, I was following him through the streets of my hometown.

It kept going. Around me, I hallucinated friends, family, and at one point a clown with a bad attitude. I'll spare you the rest. What I already told you was weird enough; you don't need to hear about the cabin and the people with gopher heads. The gopher wife hit on me. That's all I'll give you.

Suddenly, Latios stopped before something, but in my current state I couldn't really make out what it was. I walked towards him and he didn't move away. I held my hand out and even managed to touch his face... and it felt cool and smooth. I blinked, and suddenly Latios wasn't there anymore.

I was standing directly in front of the Center I stayed the night at before. My hand was pressed against the glass door and the nurse was eyeing me in confusion. I managed to snap out of my daze long enough to push the door open. I walked about three steps in, looked to my left at some guy that looked familiar, and then I dropped like a lead weight.

.

When I woke up, I was in a bed with a moist washcloth over my eyes. I felt like there was something in my arm, and the index finger on my right hand had something on it. I could hardly move.

I could hear the steady "_Beep"_ coming from a heart monitor and I also heard a soft humming.

"...Hello?" I managed to groan. The humming stopped. "Please help. I've gone blind and comatose. Again."

The voice said something that sounded like "Chance-lee" or something, and took the washcloth from over my eyes before walking to a sink. My eyes were not adjusted to the light, so I kept them shut. The washcloth was placed over my eyes again and the humming resumed for a second.

After that, I heard the door open and someone walk in.

"Well, well... our patient is awake. How are you feeling, Sly?"

"I feel like a one legged man in an ass kicking convention."

The voice chuckled a little. "You're very lucky in any case. When you walked in here, you were spiking a fever. I had you at 107. Do you know where you are?"

"Am I on _Punk'd?_"

The voice paused. "N-no... you're in Altomare Pokémon Center. You stayed the night here recently. I didn't expect you to come back like _this_, though. What happened?"

"I wish I knew."

The voice paused. "Right, well... I have your fever under control; you're in the ICU. I also have you on some antibiotics to counter any potentially serious illness."

"What's the bill look like?"

"Bill? No, treatment is free for humans and pokémon. Staying in our hotel without a Trainer's Card is what costs money."

"I see."

"...Sly, I have a problem."

"What's that?"

"We tried to find family to tell that you're in intensive care, but you don't have ID on you. Not only that, but you don't show up in our records."

"Yeah, I stay off the radar... and it also doesn't help that I got mugged yesterday."

...Well, technically I wasn't lying.

"You've been mugged? Did you... cancel your bank cards?"

I've had a bank account since I was 7. I could say that I've been prospering, but I'd be lying.

"I wasn't carrying it. Besides, there's nothing for that guy to steal anyway. There might have been, if I didn't take a bath last Superbowl."

I was only joking, but she thought I meant it. We spent the next twenty minutes talking about the pros and cons (mostly cons) of gambling.

I remember for a split second thinking twice about gambling, but I'm pretty good at it. They say that all people have something that they are good at; my something was appearantly gambling.

I shouldn't really say that I'm good at gambling. I'm just lucky at the right times... usually. If I were lucky all the time I wouldn't be lying in an ICU, I wouldn't have gotten the crap beaten out of me by an unsatisfied gambler- hell, I'd be at home worrying about my exams.

Every time I try to figure out what I'm doing here, I always come to one conclusion: I must be dead... at least where I belong. I've heard stories that when you die, you enter a new world in a new form. I would've loved to see what the Sonic universe looked like, that's for sure. Definitely not _Resident Evil;_ that place is screwed.

Instead, I was in a world that makes no sense to me (as if my original home did), and I was still human.

I must have blanked out for more than a few seconds, because Nurse Ratched took the cloth off my face to see if I was still awake. I opened my eyes slowly, and sighed in relief when I saw that the lights were down.

"Thanks so much for helping me out."

Ratched smiled. "I'm glad you remembered where we were located."

"To tell you the truth, I hallucinated my way here."

"Do you remember what you saw?"

"Well, I saw people with the heads of gophers, my friends, family, and I even saw Latios. The thing that stood out the most was the gopher people, though."

She blinked. "You hallucinated Latios?"

I nodded to the best of my ability. "Yeah, he led me here."

"You must have quite the guardian angel... if Latios brought you to us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you had a fever of 107. If we didn't bring it down, your brain would've started to die. I estimate that you would've passed away by 3 o'clock."

I must've had a funny look on my face, because Ratched continued.

"...Your temperature is lower, but you still have a fever. You're at 99.7 now. At that temperature, you don't have to worry."

"...Wait, so basically I could've _died_?"

She nodded slowly. "That's right. You should thank heavens that you made it here. I mean it. Thank heavens. Specifically, ask to talk to Latios."

Immediately, I gestured to the ceiling. "Thanks for helping me dodge a bullet there, big guy!"

"Sly... can you give us any names to look for? Friends, family... anything?"

For a minute, I was going to suggest she try an old friend of mine named Jack, but I remembered that he passed away. It was a case of mistaken identity. They're still looking for the guys that did it. The light bulb went off in my head. It was time to test my theory. Am I dead or alive?

"...Any record of a guy named Jack Stein?"

Ratched smiled. "One moment, I'll go check."

She left me to go search the name I dropped and I looked out the window. I didn't show it, but deep down I was terrified of sleeping out there again.

They say that the bigger person shows his or her emotions. For example, the stronger man cries when he has to. The weaker man holds it in.

I'm not a strong man by that frame of mind. I don't think I've cried since the day I popped out of my mother's womb (well, maybe that one time). I don't avoid it; it avoids me. I just can't do it.

I spent the time I had alone trying to think of a way to sleep somewhere warm and _not_ exposed. Sleeping under a bench clearly wasn't going to cut it. Also, I need new clothes.

My stomach growled and reminded me that I also needed food. I need money to get food, though... and I don't have any money.

Nurse Ratched re-entered the room with a frown. I mentally groaned.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any records of 'Jack Stein', either. We have a 'Jack Smith'," she offered.

I shook my head. "Thanks for trying. As you can plainly tell, I'm not from around these parts."

"Sly, tell me what's going on. Maybe I can help you."

I sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you. A few days ago I was walking home from one of my classes. I was distracted, and I got hit by a car. Then I woke up on a bench in the middle of the city, made a quick buck, stayed the night, got a tour, got my ass handed to me in a fight, and slept outside. Now I'm here."

There was a pause, and then we both started laughing.

"You certainly have a very creative mind!"

I nodded while chuckling. "Yeah, I thought so, too!"

I knew she wasn't going to believe me. That's why I bothered to tell the story.

"Now, honestly... can I help you in any way?"

I nodded slowly. "You can. Can you sell me one of those trainer card things and tolerate me indefinitely?"

She frowned. "Well, I can print you a card for 500 dollars, but we're booked. The boy that saved our city is in town, and he's got the last room."

I nodded. "What's his name again? Nash?"

"Ash."

Well, I couldn't decide if his nickname would be Ashton Kutcher or Ash-hole for taking the last room. I was leaning more towards the latter because it sounded funnier in my head.

"Figures... well, forget the card. When can I check out?"

"I want to keep you for a few days, as the medication you're being treated with is known for adverse side effects both minor and severe, but you can't stay here when you've recovered.. Once you're ready to be checked out, you can check to see if we have rooms available, or just leave. We'll always be here."

I nodded. "Great, I was worried that the building would up and leave... you're a woman of great patience. Not many would bear with me this long."

She smiled. "Dinner will be up for you in a few hours. In the meantime, try to rest some more."

She left the room and I had nothing else to do, so I shut my eyes, but I couldn't sleep.

I was just told that I nearly died. I was afraid to fall asleep. The thing that was humming left the room and I just was laying there, thinking. Was I dead or alive? If I was dead, how can I die again? Are there three lives? I looked at the heart monitor and my heart was beating normally.

"Well, this is confusing," I muttered to nobody.

I heard the window open and I opened my eyes to look towards it. They opened gently, so I figured it was the wind or something. I couldn't get up and close the window because of the IV drip and my being hooked up to a heart monitor, so I just lay there staring.

Nothing happened, and I just closed my eyes. I was still hot from my fever, so the cool air was heaven.

Around then, the nurse walked in.

"Sorry, I forgot my clipboard- oh, did that window open again? It doesn't always stay shut."

I smiled. "Yeah, I thought your Center was haunted for a minute."

Ratched laughed a little. "I'm glad it isn't."

With that, she shut the window again and took her clipboard, and then she left. Again, I just lay there for a while. I didn't want to sleep. I started thinking about everything, not just how I ended up here. I thought about my tour.

With my head clearer than this morning, I started thinking about everything Bianca told me. Latias is said to go to those who can't sleep and help them along... my first night here, I couldn't sleep...

The next day, I got my butt kicked and 2.0 helped me up and signed "I hope you slept well last night" to me before running off...

My eyes widened for a minute, but then they returned to normal. I figured I overestimated how clear my mind was now. For a minute there, I thought Bianca's twin sister was related to Latias or something... but she didn't look like the pictures I saw, what with the inability to fly and the whole being human thing.

Still, it felt like a weird coincidence. I decided that the next chance I got, I'd find Bianca and mention it to her. She might want to know if her own sister can read minds or something.

...Well, that's one problem taken care of. Now to get to work on that gopher-headed family of mine...

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,896 words.<strong>

**Keep reading. This story gets f**king weird. **

**Want to know something? The story about "Jiffy" is true, and a friend of mine actually dreamt that a gopher wife hit on him.**

**Don't get used to these quick updates. I've only got so many chapters done, though it IS a relatively short story.**

**Next chapter covers a meeting with 2.0, and how Sly deals with two hostile pokémon.**


	5. He Still Has to Pass 'Go'

**Chapter 4**

**He Still Has to Pass 'Go'**

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><p><strong>"If I have seen farther than others, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants."<strong>

**-Sir Issac Newton**

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><p>I was in Intensive Care for four days. I had a very bad reaction to the initial medication on my first night and had to be put on a milder treatment. By the time I left, all that was left of my near death experience was a cough.<p>

I just had to suppress a gulp when I looked at the sky. I really hoped it wouldn't rain tonight.

"Hey... it's that guy."

I froze in fear. For a minute I thought the voice belonged to someone I pissed off (only a few days here and I already had a small list of people that hated me). I sighed in relief when I saw who it was.

"Are you okay? You walked into the Pokémon Center a few days ago and just... dropped."

It was Ash-hole. You know, he looked a lot like he did in the painting... except taller. And slightly different face. The yellow mouse thing was on his shoulder like in the picture. Additionally, some red-headed girl our age and tan, dark haired tall guy stood with him.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You didn't seem so good the other day," pointed out the dark haired tall guy. (Not Ash-hole. He's barely 5 foot nothing.)

"Yeah, I spiked a fever... Sorry, can't stick around and chat-chit."

Ash-hole smiled. "That's fine, you going to be in the race?"

I shook my head. "Not a trainer."

Ash-hole actually took a step back in surprise. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, why does that always happen? I'm not a trainer. I have no interest in being a trainer."

"...You can still enter the race, you know. Having a pokémon doesn't mean you have to train," said the red-head. I blinked.

"Huh..."

"All you need is the means to care for it," said the tan guy.  
>I didn't say anything for a minute.<p>

"Well, I need to go torture others with my existence now. Bye."

I didn't wait for a goodbye. I just left. I wanted to figure a way to get some money. I thought I'd ask Mario if he had anything he needed done while I was around, because I still wanted to talk to Bianca about 2.0. It just seemed... weird.

I was troubled. I really, _really_ didn't want to sleep outside again. For a brief, horrifying moment I wondered if this was what my life was going to be. I'm not sure how to get ahold of an ID other than a Trainer's License, and even with that, I don't know how I'm going to pull together that kind of money if I need to keep buying food to eat.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and kept walking, but I heard two people shouting.

"You'll be ours this time, Latias," said one. I perked up in a second and started towards the voices.

In another alleyway I saw two women cornering either Bianca or 2.0 (they were in the way; I couldn't tell). One had a spider-looking creature in front of her, the other had what kind of resembled a cat.

Neither of them saw me approaching (they had their backs to me). I couldn't just let them attack someone that they thought was Latias for some reason... come to think of it, if I let them attack the actual Latias, I'd be tossed in the drink by the town.

I grabbed one of the two women by the shoulders and threw her into a wall, pushing my way past the other and grabbing Bianca/2.0's hand. I had no time to lose, and I saw how clumsy the spider-thing looked, so I led her out the way I came, knowing the spider would need a few moments to turn around.

I would've stayed to confront them, but... I don't think a human would stand a chance against either of those things.

"Hey! Stop!"

I'm a pretty quick runner and so was whoever I was leading. I didn't know where I was dragging her.

"Get back here you punk!" shouted one of the women. They were catching up. I picked up the pace and so did whoever I was dragging.

"Come on, I've seen dead guys move faster!" I called to the two pursuing women.

"Oh, that little- Espeon, psychic!"

Out of nowhere this horrible migraine hit me. For a few moments I kept running, but it became way too intense. Bianca/2.0 kept running. She managed to get away.

The two women stopped in front of me with their bastard pokémon.

"Do you realize what you just did?" growled one. I couldn't focus on what they looked like; my head hurt too much.

"I ran out of an alley with some girl you were harrassing. What did it look like, genius?" I asked, groaning. My migraine suddenly intensified for a moment and I let out a loud shout.

"You're messing with the wrong-"

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

My eyes were squeezed shut still, but I could hear the two witches screaming as well as their pokémon groaning. All at once my migraine vanished.

I felt myself being helped up and I opened my eyes to glare at the two women.

...You should've seen the hair on these two! I just... I can't describe it! They had the weirdest hair styles I had ever seen. Whenever you see Bianca and I throwing random names at each other, we're not fighting. We're trying to put names to these women based on their hair styles... so far, unsuccessfully.

"Not you again!" groaned one of the women. I looked to one side and saw Ash-hole smirk.

"Yeah, it's me again. I thought you were in jail."

I blinked. "Wait, so you two idiots are the ones that sent the town to shit?"

"We're not idiots," said one of the women defensively, after which they were electrocuted again. I pointed at the yellow mouse named Pikachu.

"You just got shocked by the same thing _twice._ You're idiots."

"We're not- agh!"

This time, they both jolted when they saw Pikachu's cheeks start sparking (he had these red spots on his cheeks that could produce electricity). I stared at the little mouse guy for a few moments.

_"Ben Franklin is turning in his grave,"_ I thought.

The confrontation was brief. The two women had to run off before any officers showed up. To this day I'm not sure just _how_ they managed to recover their pokémon. I guessed someone sent them or something. They were fugitives on an island, anyway. I don't know what they thought they could accomplish. When they were gone, I turned to Ash-hole.

"Thanks, I appreciate that," I said. He shook his head.

"No, we need to thank you. You saved Bianca."

I stared for a few moments, and Ash-hole pointed behind me. I turned and saw Bianca... but she signed 'Thank you' to me. I blinked.

"Wait, isn't that Bianca's sister?"

Ash-hole shrunk back a little. "...Oh, uhh... yeah. My mistake."

I lost interest relatively quickly. "Right, uhh... why did they want you, 2.0? It sounded like they thought you were someone you weren't- rather, some_thing_ you weren't."

2.0 blinked, and then signed to me "I don't know."

"By the sound of things, you met..."

She didn't respond. I didn't want to pry, so I just dropped it.

"Well, watch out in the future. I might not be around to sacrifice next time."

She smiled sheepishly. I turned to leave, but she tapped my shoulder and beckoned for me to turn to her again.

"Yeah? Oh, uhh... 2.0 is the nickname I decided to give-"

She cut me off by wrapping me in a hug and I tensed up immediately. I never liked being touched, especially by someone I didn't know. It also didn't help that she was practically squeezing the life out of me.

"Oh, okay... uhh... you're welcome? Please stop; you're crushing my ribcage."

She let go of me the moment I said that and smiled innocently. I panted.

"Right, well, I'm off to the museum to ask a question. I bid you all... uhh... goodbye."

I started walking away and heard Ash-hole talking with the others behind me. I coughed a little more, but didn't pay much attention to them. I did my good deed for the year.

My eyes widened and I whirled around to see if I could find 2.0 again. I wanted to ask her about what she said.

"2.0!"

They were already gone. I coughed.

"Shoot..."

Rather than try to find them, I decided to go right to the museum. Bianca and Mario would want to know what happened anyway. I started a light jog to get to them quicker. It wasn't too much further, anyway.

When I stopped in the museum, I couldn't see Mario right away, but I saw Bianca. She was looking over the defense doo-hicky when I walked in. She turned her head when she saw me and smiled, coming over.

"Hi! What's up? Did you want to see something again?"

"Something's up, Bianca. Two cons attacked your sister. I managed to get her out of there, but they're still on the streets."

She stared at me for a few moments to check if I was joking, and when I wasn't she nodded slowly.

"Where is she now?"

"With Ash-hole. Now... funny thing: Those two cons called her Latias, or at least that's what it sounded like... Also, remember how you told me that Latias is said to help those who can't sleep rest? Well, a few nights ago I wasn't getting to sleep, and all at once I felt tired. The next day when I met your sister, she signed "I hope you slept well last night" to me. Can you tell me anything about that? I feel like I'm connecting dots that aren't there."

Bianca blinked, and was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, she started walking away.

"Come on, you need to tell my Grandfather what happened."

I started following her, but not because I wanted to do as she asked.

"Hey! I could've just walked away as opposed to let you know what happened. The least you can do is answer some of my questions!"

She stopped, and turned to face me.

"Yet you didn't walk away. I saw what you were doing that day; scamming people out of money. You got what you deserved. I don't have to tell you anything."

She started walking again and I followed.

"...So you knew?"

"I'm not an idiot. I was just giving you the benefit of the doubt. My sister knows, too... though why she insists on trusting you, I can't imagine... Grandpa! Sly is here! You know, that guy that didn't know what an Arcanine was!"

"I'm coming, Bianca. I can only get around so fast nowadays."

Mario came around a corner and I stared at Bianca. She turned to me and gestured to him.

"Tell him what you told me."

"Two cons tried to hurt Bianca's sister- they called her Latias. Bianca is being less-than-forthcoming with that information, so I have to ask you... why did they call her that?"

Mario was about to say something when someone else ran into the room. It was 2.0.

"Tia! Are you alright?" asked Bianca. She nodded. I was connecting the dots in her name, so I wasn't really listening to what they were saying. From what I gathered, it was an argument as to whether or not I can be trusted.

"Tia... That's short for Latias, huh? Wow, I'm dense."

"I agree," said Bianca. I looked at her.

"Are you still mad at me for the gambling? Fine, I screwed up. That's one of the reasons why I came here. I wanted to see if you needed help with anything in exchange for money. We can call it 'labor'."

Bianca was silent. 2.0 frowned and poked me.  
>"We'll have to continue this discussion later. Go now. Tia wants to show you something."<p>

"Why is she named after Latias?"

"That's what she wants to show you. Go with her. She thinks she can trust you, and so do I. Do not prove me wrong."

I put my hands out to surrender and 2.0 grabbed one, half-dragging me out of the museum down a road. Only Bianca followed. Mario couldn't because he'd probably need to get a mushroom or fire flower, and who knows if he'd have to use a warp pipe or not. Besides, he still has to pass 'Go'.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see!" responded Bianca.

We made a sudden turn and I nearly fell into the wall. 2.0 made sure I didn't, though. We started running through alleyways making turns this way and that... If I were on my own, I would've been lost quickly. I had no idea where we were going.

"Are you going to kill me because I found some weird secret or something? Is this some kind of conspiracy?"

"What? No, are you nuts?"

"That's exactly what I'd expect to hear! Murderers!"

"What is wrong with-" Bianca was cut off by her own giggles. I couldn't see 2.0, but I knew she was laughing a little, too.

I pointed up ahead at where 2.0 was running.

"There's a wall there... hey... hey! Woah, come on! I don't want to be scraped off that wall!"

2.0 wouldn't stop; wouldn't even slow down. Suddenly, we were upon it. I sighed. This was going to hurt...

...but the pain never came. Rather than hit the wall with an audible "WHUMPH!", we just... ran right through it. It was like it wasn't even there. When we got through, we were in a huge, beautiful garden. 2.0 slowed down and let my hand go, and I looked around, struck speechless. For a minute.

The air was clean and warm, and the vegetation was beautiful and well-kept. A big fountain was not far away from us, and beyond that was a pond. I could see a small stone bridge over the pond, and near it was a small swingset.

It was a peaceful garden for sure. I turned to face Bianca.

"...Okay, what the hell?"

"You wanted to know about what was going on? Here we are. Before we continue, though, I need to ask: Can we trust you with a secret that you can tell nobody?"

I stared.

"...I guess?"

"No, don't guess. If you want this conversation to continue, you'll give me an honest "Yes". If not, well... Latias will wipe your memory and send you on your way."

"Latias?"

"Can we trust you?" she demanded. I nodded.

"Yeah, fine! I promise not to tell anyone about this garden place and whatever else you were going to show me."

"Alright, well... you saw the connection between my sister's name and Latias... and you even said that she told you to 'sleep well' or she said she hoped you 'slept well'. Want to know why she did that?"

"Because she seems to know everything?"

I heard something behind me, but I didn't look yet.

"No... it's because she isn't my sister."

"Is she your clone?"

"No."

"Lover?"

"What? No! Look... She's not my sister. She's Latias, the legendary guardian. She can take the form of a human to wander town. Since we're best friends, she turns into me a lot. She's been doing it since I was young."

I blinked. "Wait, _what? _You think your sister is Latias?"

"Don't believe me? See for yourself."

Bianca pointed behind me and I turned to see what she was looking at- and I nearly bumped into the red and white dragon that was Latias. She was floating directly behind me where 2.0 was, and judging by how close she was to me, I think she wanted to see me jump.

It worked. I fell on my ass. Latias let out a chirp, pleased with herself for scaring me. Then, she lifted me onto my feet and brushed me off with her paws.

She looked just like she did in the picture. She was red and white with yellow eyes, and looked powerful. It was true, too. Her feathers are actually so small that you would never know they were there if you never met her. If I were some maniac, I'd probably want her just for the power she might have.

It was then that I realized why those two cons wanted 2.0 so bad. It was because 2.0 was...

"Sly Stevens, meet Latias."

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,788 words.<strong>

**Does it seem like I'm rushing to you? It shouldn't, considering we're already almost halfway done with the story. I don't think we even break 15 chapters with this one.**

**It's midnight, and I'm too tired to read this over right now, so bear with me. I'll probably give it a once-over tomorrow and correct any mistakes then.**

**Next chapter covers... well, read the last line and figure it out yourself.**


	6. One Big Degrading Story

**Chapter 5**

**One Big Degrading Story**

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><p><strong>"Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so."<strong>

**-Bertrand Russell**

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><p>Before I found myself in an unfamiliar land with totally different rules, I was tough to surprise. It was possible, but it took a lot to get me to jump, or take a step back.<p>

Ever since I got here, my natural resistance to shocking situations vanished. Now, all it takes is the element of surprise. I used to have nerves of steel. Being hit by a car, hit by someone I got mad, nearly dying, hallucinating, being attacked again, and being led through a wall to meet a legendary "guardian" completely trashed me.

For a moment, I thought that Latias was the one that got me here, but I dismissed the thought. I don't know what brought me here. Even now, I am unsure. Truthfully, I don't think I'll ever fully understand what happened. Only two things happened in my life that I never understood: This, and that vanishing thumbtack when I was 7. I never found it.

Latias... she's very sweet to her friends. When we first met, I could understand what she wanted me to understand by simply staring at her eyes; they told me what she was feeling. Then, when I was meeting her for the first time, her eyes said "Welcome" to me.

"...This is the real Latias?" I asked Bianca. She nodded.

"That's riiiight," she said in a singsong voice. I paused for a minute.

"...So do I, uhh, bow to her or something?"

Bianca giggled. Latias let out a cute little chirp that sounded like a giggle.

"No, you don't have to bow or anything... though I'm sure she'd like that."

I looked at her again. She flew close to me and stared at my eyes. I couldn't understand her, but she let out a soft chirp or something.

"...Translation?"

"She wants to read you. To deny her this request would be an insult."

"...She wants to... what?"

Latias gave me a little room while Bianca explained what she wanted to do.

"Latias likes to get to know those she reveals herself to. She's done it to me, Grandpa, Ash- everybody she knows, save for her brother... since she knew him from birth."

I nodded. Bianca continued.

"She will only look at the main points in your life, and will not look into stories you feel are too degrading. She'll know. When she is done, she'll give you a chance to see the world through her eyes; that is, you can see the main points in her life, as well. It is through this technique that Latias forms strong bonds with those she trusts. You can expect to be good friends with her by the time you're done. At the end, you two will be connected enough to be able to communicate telepathically."

"Super cool. One question, though: You said that she wouldn't look into stories that are too degrading. What if my entire life is one big degrading story?"

Bianca smiled. "Then you're S.O.L, Latias. What do you say, Sly?"

I nodded. "Sure, do it."

"Face Latias, and stare into her eyes. When she's done, you'll know."

I did as Bianca told me, and I stared into Latias' golden eyes.

There was no feeling. It didn't hurt, didn't feel good, didn't feel funny... nothing. To anyone else, we were having a staring contest. The only thing that suggested she was reviewing my life was that I was seeing it in my head with her. My memories played out, yet it skipped over any horribly degrading stories. I wasn't exempt from a few slightly embarrassing ones. If I actually cared about what other people thought, that would've done it for me. I can only remember a few things we saw.

I saw memories with my family. The one I'm particularly proud of was the time my family was down for Thanksgiving dinner. I was 4 or 5, I was under the table, and I tied my uncle Kenny's shoelaces together. When he got up, he fell flat on his face. I heard Latias "giggle" again. Why was that memory considered a "main point" in my life? Simple. My uncle Kenny was the King of Pranks when he was young. That moment signaled his passing the torch to me.

Latias and I also re-lived the moment I learned of my Grandmother's passing. I was 6 or 7 at the time. She died on my Dad's birthday. I was young; I didn't have any real way to deal with it. I didn't sob when I first found out, but that didn't mean I didn't love her. Latias put her paw on my shoulder during that memory.

We saw the time I met my favorite musician. I got a photo, autograph, and he even gave me his guitar pick. It felt great to re-live that. That moment had me glowing for a long time afterwards. I remember she let out an impressed chirp. I got that autograph when I was 7.

The next big moment was my performance in a Spelling Bee meant for Fourth Graders. I took Third place in a Spelling Bee one year ahead of my time. Latias was again impressed. Had I known how to spell "appetite", I could've gotten second place. Nowadays, I can hardly spell "jenius".

Then there was that time I got into my first physical confrontation. I was on the playground, and a friend ran up and said "Hey, Sly, come help. Bill's in a fight and we need you." I got grounded for a week. The look on Latias' face was one of disappointment. It kind of reminded me of my Mom and Dad. And teacher. And the counselor I had to see afterwards...

How could I forget the year my step-brother moved in? Huh... What was his name... Lucifer! He put me through hell. I'm not just saying sibling rivalry here; I mean... I had hamsters at one time, and he took one and threw it into a wall as hard as he could. Incredibly, the hamster got up, totally uninjured. Lucifer hit me a lot, but I got him a few times, too. Until my Mom kicked his Dad's ass to the curb, Lucifer was on speed dial as '666'. I remember Latias gave me another upset look, but she was mad at him, not me.

Then there was the day I saw my ex-girlfriend for the first time in 11 years. By then, I was around 16. I'll spare you the details until you get older, but there is a reason why I call her the toxic she-devil now. I pity the man that has to date her without holy water handy. Latias again patted my shoulder.

We saw bits and pieces of my time with a band known as "The Fallen Angels", but all we really saw was me quitting the band shortly after my best friend did. It was good we didn't see _why_ I quit at that time. I'll tell you later. She gave me a questioning look, but I just shrugged and she dropped it.

We re-lived my graduation. It was the hottest day of the year, and all the graduates had to wear long pants, a long collared shirt, dress shoes, and a tie- under our gowns. We had these incredibly long-winded Valedictorians. There was no shade where we sat. The kid next to me made a brilliant decision. While everybody else was sweating out their life-fluids, this kid was sitting in his chair nice and cool. Why? he wasn't wearing pants. He just cut off the legs of the pants and taped them on where they'd be visible. He also had a painted-on shirt under his gown, since nobody would see him up-close save for the principal, and he wouldn't pull you from graduation because you weren't wearing a shirt. That guy was brilliant. Latias giggled at that memory, and gave me a look of pride.

We looked at my... shall we say, "ticket" to come here. The car... it was a short memory. I just know she gave me a shocked squeak and looked me over to make sure I was okay. Then, that gave way to the other day... my hallucinations, and Nurse Ratched telling me I nearly died. She saw why I almost died; my night in the rain. Her eyes told me we needed to talk.

Once that memory was over and done with, she stopped looking in my mind. Her eyes told me 'thank you', and she gave me a hug that I felt a little more comfortable receiving. She also made it known that she was aware of my situation. I saw it in her eyes when she let me go.

"Well, now you decide whether or not to see her memories. You can refuse, but it would be an insult."

I looked at Bianca. "I wasn't going to refuse. Sure, let's see what you've got."

"Okay. I will give you both some privacy; this is going to be a bumpy ride. Stare into her eyes once more..."

Looking into my own memories wasn't so strange. Looking into Latias' was just _weeeeird_. I was staring into her eyes, and I blinked. Next thing I know, I'm seeing her life through _her_ eyes; anyone that looked at Latias during the memories was looking at me, too. It was sort of like an out-of-body experience. However, as each memory ended, I returned to my body (for lack of better terminology) for a moment to react. Again, I don't remember all the memories... but the ones I do recall were interesting.

The first memory we saw must have been when she was still a baby. I could see a small Latios; her brother. Since I was seeing her life through her eyes, I could also understand any words that might be mixed into the sounds pokémon make. Additionally, I could understand what she told me while I watched, but only while I was watching. I was fascinated with her memory; she could remember back to such a young age...

The memory was of her big brother sitting next to us. Both were sitting in the garden we were in now. A bigger Latios flew through the air and landed before us. The look on his face was one a proud parent gives to a child or children. I could tell that their father loved them very much.

"Father, look what Latias can do now!" exclaimed her brother. Her Dad looked down at us, and Latias levitated. She started flying around in a little circle for her Dad, and he was proud.

"Look at you... already flying like a pro! Your Mother would be so proud..."

"I taught her, father!"

"And you taught her well, little one."

Latias was learning to fly. Before I knew it, we were flying with the father and brother. It was probably a shining family moment. Latias showed me this memory not because it was when she learned to fly, but it's because she said it was the happiest day of her life.

When the memory ended and I found myself in my body again, I smiled at Latias and put my hand on her neck, feeling sort of awkward. I wasn't good with touchy-feely crap... I'm still not. She smiled back, and another memory surfaced.

It must have occurred not long after her favorite memory. We were in the garden still, and Latias was likely playing tag with Latios and her father. She told me it was a lot of fun until some fellow named Niccolò came around that day. She explained that Niccolò was Mario's great-grandfather, and that Legendary Pokémon age very slowly, and often do not die of old age.

Niccolò was a trusted friend of Latias' father. To the man, the legendaries were like family. Latias even told me that he painted the picture I saw in the museum. He was a painter, and under it all... a preventer. He was part of a very small but elite group of humans tasked with preventing as many catastrophies as possible. In the time of the preventers, crime as a whole dropped dramatically. They wore casual clothing to blend with crowds, like the police do now. Niccolò was one of five of these commandos, and he was still the only preventer that knew the legendaries.

To the legendaries, Niccolò wasn't like family. He _was_ family, and so were those related to him. He was never one to over-react, so when he ran into the garden and called frantically for Latias' father, the guardian knew it was serious. He told us to stay put while he listened to what Niccolò had to say.

Latias was young, and so was Latios. Neither knew what was going on. They resumed their game while their Father listened to whatever had Niccolò so upset.

"Children, stop for a moment and listen to your father," he said as he returned to us. We looked at him, and waited.

"Our home is in danger. I need to leave you with Niccolò while I sort out the problem."

"Okay, father."

"Promise me you'll stay here no matter what."

"Okay."

"No. Promise me, children. _Promise_ _me_..."

"We promise, father."

"...I love you both," was the last thing he said before he left the garden. Latias told me that it was the last time they saw their father alive. That was the time of the evil pokémon. The father drowned them and in so doing sacrificed himself and became the first Soul Ball. That Soul Ball was long gone; it was destroyed by the two nine years ago, remember?

When I came out of it, Latias had tears falling down her cheeks. I felt like I knew her well by then, so I let myself wipe the tears from her face. She smiled through them, and continued.

The next memory was of Niccolò's passing. Latias explained that after what happened, he took it upon himself to raise them. She told me that she thinks it was her father that told him to do it, but she knew he'd have raised them even if he didn't ask.

By the time Niccolò passed, Latios and Latias were about half the size they would be when they were full grown. At full size, Latios was around 12 feet; Latias 9.

With Niccolò's passing, the responsibility for the two legendaries was now that of Mario's father, Leonardo. Latias said that the preventers died with Niccolò. Crime rates in Altomare rose again, and additional guards were required to patrol the streets.

Leonardo was crushed by the death of his father, but the man lived into his late 80's. Latias said that they comforted him just as he comforted them. They helped each other through a difficult period and the bond between the legendaries and Mario's family was strengthened even further. These were the reasons why it was such an important period on Latias' life, not because Niccolò died.

When I came out of it again, Latias was taking a moment to rest. I put my hand on her paw and told her I was sorry for her losses. Her eyes told me 'Thank you' again, and another memory surfaced.

The next memory was of Leonardo again. He was critically injured by a few thieves that had desires on the Soul Ball, yet even with a bad injury, he was able to defeat them in hand to hand combat in the garden. Latios and Latias were too young to defend the Soul Ball on their own. The thieves were able to incapacitate them, but only just. One got his hands on the Soul Ball, but Leonardo managed to defeat them and put the Soul Ball back where it belonged before anything bad happened.

The thieves were placed in a small rowboat and shipped out to sea. They were never seen or heard from again, likely claimed by the water that would've claimed a town instead. Leonardo's injury was serious, but he managed to survive with support from Latios and Latias.

Latias said that to this day, she swears her father and his smiled that day. It wasn't just the day thieves tried to steal the Soul Ball; it was the start of a golden age that would last until 9 years ago. It was important because it showed her that while pokémon often defended humans, it could go the other way, too. Leonardo's likeness is sculpted near the port. She joked that his actions that day were something Mario never tired of talking about.

When I came to, I chuckled a little at her joke and she giggled with me. I told her that the thieves got what they deserved, but her eyes disagreed. Her eyes told me that there was a reason behind the lack of capital punishment in Altomare, and she was it.

I didn't gather all that from her eyes; she just said so at the start of the next memory.

The next memory had Latios and Latias meeting Leonardo's son for the first time. I estimate that this event occurred shortly after Mario's escape from Yoshi's Island. (I never tire of those jokes, even now as I tell them to a crowd that doesn't get them). Seeing baby Mario left Latias and Latios glowing for weeks. They congratulated Leonardo by nuzzling him and his baby, and Latias said that she didn't let him leave until he understood what they wanted him to know: they wanted him to bring his wife to see them again when she recovered from the delivery.

Leonardo stayed with the legendaries for the rest of the day, but he was exhausted, having been up the previous nights caring for his son. Mario cried through the better parts of his first nights, and a case of Colic kept both he and his father up most of the day, too. Leonardo ultimately fell asleep by a tree. Latias took the baby (who was actually sleeping for once) back to Leonardo's home while disguised as his wife.

They looked out for each other. That's why it was such an important memory to her.

When I came to this time, my opinion changed. Latias wasn't a stranger to me anymore. She was rapidly becoming a very close friend, and it just broke my heart to think that people were willing to attack someone as sweet as she is. She saw the look on my face, because her eyes twinkled in response, and we continued.

By the time Leonardo passed, his wife was already long gone; passing away by a fever. Latias said that his wife rarely came out to see them, and they hardly knew each other. Latios and Latias did stay with Leonardo the entire day when he wife passed. She said he wanted to be strong in front of his son and refused to cry. Latios took the still young Lorenzo out to get ice cream (Lorenzo's mother passed when he was 8). When they left, Leonardo's tears ran free. He cried, and Latias held him the entire time.

Lorenzo would break down and cry into Latios' stomach on the way to get ice cream.

Leonardo passed on many years later at around 95. By then, Lorenzo (it feels wrong to call him Mario during such a sad memory) was around 60, his son was 25, and his granddaughter was 3. The memory played out like this:

Latios and Latias were in the garden playing tag. We turned our heads to see Lorenzo walk into the garden, pale as a ghost.

"...Lorenzo? What's the matter?" asked Latios. Obviously, he didn't catch a word, but he fell to his knees before them and they were on him in a second.

"...My father died," was all he managed to get out before weeping. Latios and Latias embraced him, and they held him for as long as it took. Though he couldn't understand them, they provided comforting words: "I'm so sorry", "Hey, it'll be alright", "I know it hurts", "We're here for you", etc.

Lorenzo was very close to his father. He was depressed for a while. Latias said that she became worried that he was sick, but Latios insisted that he'd come around. However, both legendaries were true to the term "We're here for you". They were always by his side when he needed them.

Eventually, he did come around. The sculpture of Leonardo was what did it. Today, Lorenzo's wife is an actress, and so she travels the world. The man himself is 76, and yet he is in very good shape. His son is a scientist, and his daughter-in-law is a great musician. Both live on the mainland, but they do drop in from time to time.

That memory brought us up to that day nine years ago. She went right into it this time.

We were flying through the air in the middle of the night with Latios next to us. At the time, he looked like he was injured, but if he rested, his injuries were survivable. When she looked down, I let out a gasp. All the canals ran dry; I could see puddles here and there, but that was it. Then... she looked ahead.

A landslide can cause what is known as a mega-tsunami. Where an earthquake-created tsunami is between 40 and 100 feet, a mega-tsunami is a wall of water that might break a mile in height. We were staring at a mega-tsunami, and it was heading right for Altomare.

The legendaries were flying right to it without hesitation. I could feel the determination Latias felt that day; determination to save the city no matter the cost. My vision became distorted by a bright light. I could see Latios glowing as he rushed forward towards the wall of water. Then... there was a brilliant flash, and I was back in the garden with Latias again.

It was that last memory that got her crying, and I could imagine why. I knew the end of the story already. Without thinking I wiped the tears from her eyes and held her as she cried. Once she didn't complain about my contact, I waited. I know it wasn't the time, but I felt this sense of accomplishment as she cried into my shoulder. I actually showed compassion for once; I was being a warm human being as opposed to, you know, a cold-hearted soul-less bastard, as the she-devil said.

When she was finished sobbing, she picked her head up from my shoulder and nudged my chin with her head. Her eyes said 'thank you' again.

"Yeah, sure..."

Latias gestured for me to wait. I wondered about the telepathy thing Bianca mentioned, but I guess Latias wasn't in a "talking" mood. It was just as well, because I really couldn't think of much to say. I got up (you know I'm not a good listener) and wandered to the fountain to admire it. I took a step back in surprise at what I saw.

In the center of the fountain was the actual Soul Ball... and as long as I was in its direct presence, it felt like my soul was being peered right into. It's a disturbing ball!

I could feel the late Latios' eyes on me, and I gulped. If I could still feel his power over this place from beyond the grave, I really, _really_ wanted to be on my best behavior. I backed away.

"Sly?"

I turned back to face Bianca and Latias. The latter grinned.

_Big brother is watching you!_

Latias' voice startled me and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.

...Oh, right! Telepathy...

"Are you... alright? Ooh, you saw the Soul Dew, huh?"

"...Yeah... I don't want to talk about it."

"Latios is probably just wary about you. Don't worry."

"...Easier said than done."

"Listen, I have to run and find Ash. Maybe he'll know more. In the meantime, go back to my Grandfather. He still wants to know more about what you saw."

I nodded. As I went to leave, Latias grabbed my arm and let out a disappointed chirp.

_We were supposed to play, though..._

For a minute I looked around for the voice, but remembered it was Latias. She smiled.

_You get used to it... but come on, let's play for a little bit..._

"I uhh... I can't right now, Latias. How about this? If you lead me back to Mario- err, Lorenzo, I'll tell him what he wants to know, and then we can come back and play whatever you like."

She smiled. _Okay, sounds good._

Latias and I actually had quite a few things in common even then. For one thing, we both loved pulling pranks, we both had a good sense of humor, and we were both childish. After those things, we sort of branched off. Latias was good at protecting a city. I was the guy that went to a thrift store, got into a dress, and complained about not having a date to the prom. They never let me in there again.

I walked a few steps in a random direction, but stopped. Latias, meanwhile, took Bianca's form again.

"...uhh... I have no idea how to get out of here."

Latias made that silent giggle again and gestured for me to follow her. She led me to the exit.

It was weird. Looking at the entrance to the garden from the alleyway, you'd see a wall. Looking out at that same alleyway from inside the garden, however... you'd see through like there was nothing there. She led me through the illusion and we started walking side by side through the alley. Latias was walking like it was no big deal; I was looking all around like I was a kid in a candy store.

"I'll never understand why these alleyways have to be so confusing," I pointed out. Latias grinned at me.

_You'll get used to them._

Suddenly, she frowned at me. I blinked.

"...What? Did I say something wrong?"

_...You reminded me that we have to talk about why you got so sick and hallucinated my brother... _

I cringed. "...Remembered that, did you?"

_Why would you sleep under a bench in the middle of the pouring rain? You should've known better._

I looked around to make sure nobody saw me carrying a conversation with a girl that openly spoke no words. I wasn't sure how to respond using only my thoughts yet.

"I didn't want to..."

_Is it because you have nowhere to stay?_

"Obviously," I muttered. She blinked at me, and we turned.

_...You should talk to Lorenzo or Bianca. _

"I don't want to ask someone I hardly know to house me," I simply said.

_...Have you no common sense?_

I paused for a second. "...No, why?"

_A sense of pride ceases to remain an issue when you're dead. Swallow your pride and ask for assistance. Lorenzo won't bite._

"I don't feel I know him well enough. Imagine walking up to someone you've never met and asking to stay the night. That's why I was gambling; I needed the money to rent a room somewhere."

_You were willing to rent a room one night, yes?_

"...Yes."

_...So, you asked someone you didn't know well enough to stay the night!_

I said nothing. She poked me while we walked.

_Okay, how about this: You and I are pretty close friends now, right?_

I started coughing, and then nodded. "We just saw each others lives, for the most part... though I have to say that yours was more interesting. I was never able to fly before. Not without falling, anyway."

_Right, so how about you stay in the garden? You can stay under the bridge with me. It blocks the elements very nicely._

I looked at her. "I couldn't do that to you."

_Oh, come on, Sly. It'll be fun. Besides, I'm not asking you. If you won't stay in a cozy bed, you're staying under a bridge like a troll._

"Bah, humbug," I muttered. No, the Scrooge reference had no place in our conversation, but I was tired and starving. Anything makes sense once you pass a certain point.

_...You do realize you're trying to argue with a legendary, right?_

I paused. "...So it seems."

_I win?_

"You win."

She smiled at me.

_I always win._

We turned onto a street with people on it and fell silent for a little while. I kept an eye out for those thieves. Deep down, I knew that they wouldn't attack us with so many people around. It also didn't help that the police were putting posters out with their faces on them. Part of me wanted to rest easy; to think that the police would be able to take care of it... but these guys escaped from the _Altomare _Police force. It's a force that boasts a 99% success rate and a maximum security prison. I couldn't help but feel that the two women were just toying with her. I felt like there was more to it than what we saw.

Turns out, that thing involving the Soul Ball and the ghost proved I was right. More on that later, though.

We made it to the main road and she signed "Do you know where we are yet" to me. I looked around, but everything looked so different at first that I didn't, so I shook my head. She smiled and we kept walking.

I can't tell you how many times I heard one guy say to another "I challenge you to a battle". Honestly, training was _the_ thing to be doing, appearantly. It still is. One guy asked me, and of course I put on an overly-dramatic tone of voice.

"I accept your invitation, young apprentice. You and I shall meet on the field of battle at that time on that day."

After he was reasonably... muted, I left with Latias. She signed "Why did you do that" to me. I shrugged.

"The obsession with battling and pokémon concerns and confuses me. In my country, we don't glorify animals. We typically eat them."

She blinked. _As do these people, depending on what you're talking about._

I smiled at her. "There's room for all God's creatures... right next to my mashed potatoes."

She did that silent giggle again, and then signed "Do you know where we are yet" to me. I just shook my head again.

I blinked because she started giggling again.

"...What?"

She pointed directly behind me at the museum. I stared.

"...Oh, look at that. Just sneaks up on you."

I looked back at her and she smiled.

"Well? Shall we?"

She nodded and we walked up the staircase towards the museum. I was becoming paranoid. I kept expecting another horrible migraine to hit; to hear those fugitives demand that Latias come with them. I know it's selfish, but I was more concerned with the migraine for a few seconds. It hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. However, once I gave it some thought, I figured it would be better that I had a headache than it would for the town to be underwater.

"Lorenzo!" I called. It was a busy day for the museum, and I couldn't find him. I whistled. "Hey, old man! Heard you needed to talk to me!"

Nobody paid particular attention to my voice (a few people glanced at me), but I saw Bianca stop her tour for a second and gesture towards a back room. I nodded and walked towards it.

"Sorry, folks. Anyway, Latios and the Soul Dew were both being used as keys for the Defense Mechanism..."

We found him sanding a piece of wood in the back, and he was humming loud enough for me to understand why he didn't hear my calls. We walked up behind him and Latias tapped him on the shoulder.

He paused, glanced over his shoulder, put down the sanding block, and turned to face us.

"Ah! I was wondering when you'd get here."

I didn't say anything. Mario made sure the door was shut and locked, and he walked back to us.

"...Alright, let's cut to the chase. Sly, now that you know just who Tia really is, we need to make something very clear: You cannot let anyone else know. It is not your place to decide who is and is not trustworthy. Only Latias makes that decision. If you try to bring a friend to meet her, you will never see her again."

I crossed my arms. "Dude, since I got here I've made acquaintances and enemies. Latias is the only friend I have here."

"...It's just so you know. We do not tolerate betrayal."

"Who does?"

"A fine point. Moving on. Now that you know the secret, we expect you to assist us in defending Latias against those thieves. It is not their first time trying to take her."

"It should be difficult for them..."

"No. Both of those fugitives have a common enough face. All it would take to disguise them are different hairstyles and clothes. They know where the garden is. The only thing preventing them from taking the Soul Dew is the high alert. Once they disguise themselves, I know they'll come for it. We need you to stand by Ash Ketchum and defend the garden."

"I'm not a trainer. I'm just a student."

He groaned. "Latias, of all the people in Altomare, you reveal your secret to _him?_"

"Hey."

"Look, we need someone that can defend that garden!"

There was a brief silence. I piped up.

"You're thinking of deflecting. How about... misleading? Do you have any of those souvenier Soul Dew things left?" I asked. Mario thought for a minute.

"Yes, but... you can't remove the real one and replace it. It will die."

"Maybe I can't remove it from the pool it's in, but I _can_ put the fake one in there and hand _it_ over to those cons instead."

Mario lit up. "...That's good. That's very good! Ah... wait here!"

Mario left the room to look for the souveniers. I looked at Latias.

"Seriously, why trust a complete stranger?"

She shrugged._ I go with my gut sometimes. It's how I met Ash, and obviously I made the right decision then. You helped me when you could've just left me behind. You're a good person. Maybe a little cynical at times, but... a good person._

I thought for a minute. "...No, really. Why trust me?"

She smiled. _I just told you._

Mario walked back into the room with one of the souveniers. It looked like the real thing, but I didn't know if it felt like the real thing.

He seemed to sense my thoughts, because he went on:

"The actual Soul Dew has a texture not unlike glass, which is what the outside of this souvenier is made of. It could make a decent red herring, especially since these two thieves aren't the sharpest tools in the shed."

I took it from him and looked it over.

"Alright, this will do. It could buy us enough time to organize or to call the police to wherever they will take it."

Mario nodded at me. "Go now. It is late, and those two thieves won't be out tonight. The police just issued a curfew this afternoon. Place the fake Soul Dew, and go rest."

Latias and I started walking out the door.

"Sly, meet me at the garden tomorrow at 8. If you need her, Bianca will be waiting in town square."

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>5,957 words.<strong>

**It's easier for me to imagine what's supposed to be a "legendary creature" as aging slowly, so they've been around longer than Mario in this story. I just wanted to throw together a bond between Latias and Sly that isn't just a blind trust, and what better way to bond than over stories?**

**It still feels like a strange chapter, though.**

**Here's the fun part: A few of those stories are real. I'll leave it up to you to guess what.**

**Next chapter covers rest, dreams, and food.**


	7. Geneticallyenhanced Superblueberries

**Chapter 6**

**Geneticallyenhanced Superblueberries**

* * *

><p><strong>"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."<strong>

**-Nathan Hale**

* * *

><p>I could feel eyes on me once again as I approached the fountain, but the feeling wasn't as intense. I felt trusted. Trusted enough to put my hand in the same fountain as the Soul Ball, anyway.<p>

Latias was floating right behind me. It wasn't completely dark yet, and she hadn't forgetten that I promised to play a game with her. The moment I put down the fake Soul Ball, she was on me.

Suddenly, I'm about 30 feet in the air. Now, I know that doesn't sound like such a big deal, but... here's the formula that went through my head:

30 foot drop + Stone pathway= Death.

For a few moments I felt her falling down a little, but she was just toying with me; trying to make me think that she couldn't hold me. She started flying through the air with me, and while she was having a good time, I could not wait to be on the ground again.

It was like she sensed my desire, because after a few minutes of flying around the garden, she let me land. She even allowed me to catch my breath. It was a wonder I did not wet myself.

"...Why?" I asked, panting. She chirped happily.

_Why not?_

"I think I left six or seven years of my life behind on that flight."

She chirped again, pleased with herself for scaring me. When I didn't get up right away, her amusement faded to slight concern.

_...You're not hurt, are you?_

"Physically? I'm fine. Mental health: Gone. Dignity: Nowhere to be found."

She smiled a little. _Okay, if you don't like me carrying you, I won't do it. How about tag?_

I looked at her. "Tag?"

She tapped me with a paw. _You're it!_

As soon as she said that, she flew away from me, so I chased her. It's tough catching up to a legendary as quick as she is on two legs... come to think of it, I'd imagine that it's just tough to catch up to a legendary.

When I finally did catch her, she wasn't 'it' for long. In fact, after I ended up being 'it' for about 20 minutes, she decided that when I tagged her, she had to stay still for five seconds so I had the chance to make room. I was a fast runner, but Latias could (and still can, obviously) _fly._

Those five seconds would give me just enough time to put a little distance between us. I tried to be evasive, but she moved quickly. For a few days afterwards, I thought that I was actually a slow runner, but Latias later told me that she and her brother could move faster than sound. I didn't feel so bad after that.

We played tag for about an hour and a half, and when we were done, it was around eight. Latias decided that it was enough for one day, and she took a moment to rest on the ground. I sat down next to her.

_Thanks for actually going through with it. I don't get to play with Bianca so much anymore, and Lorenzo is ancient._

She giggled a little. _He was old when Bianca was born._

I didn't say anything at first. My stomach growled and Latias heard it. She smiled.

_Yeah, me too. Come on, let's go get dinner._

I had not eaten since I was in intensive care. I was running all day on reserves and my adrenaline. Now, my legs were like butter. I started coughing while we walked. Latias said nothing because she knew I was sick. Still... I was much worse before. The medical technology in this city is incredible. They can heal some injuries or illnesses using machines alone; you don't need medication. The thing I had must've responded best to medication, though. It clearly felt that way, because I was walking again now, and I wasn't hallucinating.

Latias led me to a tree with these fruits about the size of tomatoes growing from it. She flew up to one of the branches and started pulling the fruits free. They kind of looked like big blueberries.

Latias didn't stop pulling the fruits until there was a small pile of them on the ground. When she was finished, she gave one to me and started munching on her own. I didn't eat mine right away. I just... stared at it. I didn't know if it was poisonous or not, at least to me. Latias paused and blinked.

_Don't worry, I wouldn't give you these berries if they were bad for you. I promise it's alright. Just don't tell Bianca that we ate these; she loves them._

"What does Lorenzo think?"

Latias giggled. _He's not a fan. Now, go on! You're hungry!_

I shrugged and uncertainly took a bite while Latias eyed me expectantly. The berry itself didn't even taste all that much different from a blueberry, really. It wasn't bitter, either. To this day, Latias knows exactly which berries are the perfect age and which are not ripe yet. I go on trial and error, as you've seen when I have to go gather the berries.

The berry was very good, though that's not saying much. At that time, I was so hungry that I was willing to eat anything that wasn't dangerous. I would've eaten my wallet if I had it on me. I hear they taste like beef jerky.

Latias smiled before taking another berry.

_I told you they're good! _

I didn't say anything in return because I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Latias gestured to another berry and I took one.

I thought that the small pile we had was a lot. They were gone in a flash. However, of all the berries in the pile, Latias won about 78% of the time. Then again, who could blame her? She was bigger than I was, and certainly needed more to fuel her body than I did.

I neglected to get the name of the berries when we ate them that day. Of course, I know now that they're Oran Berries. It beat the name I gave them: Geneticallyenhanced Superblueberries.

They are still my favorites today. Once we were finished eating, Latias got a drink from the pond and assured me that it was safe to drink from. I knew by now that she wouldn't let me drink it if it could hurt me, so I drank a little, too.

It was the first time I'd been really full and hydrated in a few days. The meals I got in the ICU were typically water and a few Saltines. By "the meals I got", I mean "The meals I managed to keep down". The medication I was given made me nauseated, and I actually vomited back up the original dinner Nurse Ratched's assistant gave me. (It was called Chansey, but I called it Kirby).

Once I was reasonably well-off, Latias led me to the bridge she slept under.

_This is your last chance to go to Lorenzo._

"I can't now. That curfew thing is in effect."

She frowned, and then I followed her under the bridge.

There was only a little grass left under the bridge. In fact, Latias had built a small bed for herself sometime in the past out of grass and straw, though she's fond of sleeping in the trees from time to time. She constantly touches it up, because whenever I see the bed, it's as fresh as the first day I saw it. I sat down on the dirt, but Latias dragged me over to the bed before laying down behind me herself.

I felt mixed emotions as she brought me closer to her. On one hand, I was aware that she was simply trying to keep me from getting sicker, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel... uncomfortable. Sleeping with a Pokémon is like sleeping with a pet on the bed, she wasn't some pet. Come to think of it, I was the pet at that point.

For a few moments I couldn't sleep, but Latias was out fairly quickly. I could feel her chest moving with each breath. Her body heat kept me warm that night. As I grew tired and my discomfort faded, I felt content with where I was. Whenever I have to meditate, I bring myself back to that moment. Sometimes I'll bring myself back to the thrift shop dress story, though. That's still funny; I stand by it.

Once my uneasiness left me, I felt comforted by the big dragon. Those feelings combined with the warmth I felt got me to sleep.

0.0

The dream I had that night rivaled the gopher hallucination. I was sitting before... it was as large as an ocean but my mind told me it was a lake. Floating a few meters in front of me was the Soul Ball. I looked at my reflection, and everything was in order: blue eyes, short brown hair, a nose, a mouth... and I even had my shiner from a few days ago, though it was mostly faded.

It was around then that a familiar blue dragon appeared before me. He was not solid; rather, it was as if he was a spirit. It was one of the former legendary guardians... so I knew that I should be very polite and very formal when I spoke to him.

"...Hey, I remember you from that hallucination. You're my heroin hero dragon."

That's what my mouth said. I wondered to myself why I was smart enough to con a guy out of money on my first day here but not smart enough to keep my big mouth shut.

Thankfully, Latios took it as a joke (which it was); he snorted, but otherwise said nothing, so we just sort of stared at each other for a few seconds.

"...What? Oh! Thanks for leading me to the Center; you saved me."

Latios did not say anything in return. He kept staring. It wasn't one of those 'I will kill you' stares, either. I gave his red eyes a long look. They were... his eyes were returning the stare I was giving him. He was mirroring me.

I kept staring. Suddenly, he flies towards me and picks me up. He was still a ghost, but he... he picked me up like he was solid.

We flew high above the ground I originally sat on. We were above the clouds looking down, though oddly enough... at this height, I wasn't cold and I wasn't light-headed. I looked at Latios' eyes, and he stared at me as if to say "I've got you, don't worry".

...So you can imagine my displeasure at being _dropped_.

You ever have a dream where you're falling through the air, you can't fly, and you wake up suddenly before you hit the ground? This part of the dream was sort of like that, except I didn't wake up, nor did I hit the ground. No more than ten feet before a spatula would've been needed to pick me up again, Latios caught me and flew me out a great distance to the lake he appeared on.

I was looking down into the water a few feet below where Latios now held me at our reflections.

_Trust._

It was telepathy, that much I knew. I still looked around because I'm an _idiot._

Latios didn't let my brief moment of stupidity stop whatever he wanted to say. He simply continued.

_Do you trust me?_

"Do you trust me?" asks the legendary guardian that gave his life to save his home. My eyes rolled to look up at him a little.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" I asked. Latios flew up to the same height we were a few moments before. I looked down in horror.

_Do you trust me completely?_

I nodded frantically. "Yes, I do! Please don't drop-"

My pleas were interrupted by my own screaming. Latios dropped me again, yes... but rather than just let gravity do its thing, he gave me a friendly push. I don't know why I trusted him.

Physics say that an object reaches terminal velocity when its speed is equal to a resisting force- that is, it can go no faster than its terminal velocity unless you remove the resisting force.

Latios made me break mine. I fell faster than any human being should be able to fall... or at least, it felt that way. The entire trip down was accompanied by my screams, and my wondering if I'd rather die by car or by fall.

The car won every time I thought about it.

Water has a surface, so if a human being hits the water from a few miles in the air, it's like landing on pavement. I squeezed my eyes shut literally three feet before I hit the water.

Latios caught me again at one.

When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at our reflections once more. Latios was eyeing me.

_An un-trusting individual would have willed a parachute to appear the first time, or would have shouted at me. You do trust me._

"You couldn't just take my word for it?" I gasped, exasperated.

_You trust me, that is certain. The new question is... can I trust you?_

I blinked, and a shiver went down my spine. Suddenly, I felt disoriented; and I felt like I was holding something. I opened my eyes and looked at the water, and the only thing that changed was my facial expression.

My face had the stoic look Latios was using the entire dream so far. Latios' face had the confused and dumbfounded look I adopted. Additionally, whenever I moved my head, Latios did the same. However, my head refused to move, you see?

Latios and I switched bodies. I was never as confused as I was during that dream, but Latios seemed to think that everything was under control.

"Can I trust you?" asked Latios (in my body). I nodded.

"Then catch me," he said. The moment he said that, he vanished from my arms. I looked up and saw him falling through the air... only he was falling towards a punjii pit.

I believe today that I was able to control the body like I was born in it because it was only a dream. I had no trouble flying up and meeting Latios, intercepting his fall with plenty of time to spare.

He kept that stoic expression on my face.

"I'm not so sure. Can I trust you?"

I tried to say something along the lines of "I just saved you from becoming a shish-kebab". All that came out of my mouth was the kind of chirp I heard when Latias said something.

Latios once again vanished from my arms and appeared in the air, only this time Bianca (or Latias; I wasn't sure) was falling next to him.

I went with courtesy and rescued Bianca as opposed to him. He fell into the punjii pit, but they did not impale him. Rather, they simply vanished... and he landed on the floor like he just floated down. I flew down to meet him. He eyed me, and for the first time, he smiled.

"Most would try to rescue me from a fall to my death as opposed to Latias, for most would overlook the fact that I am already dead. By rescuing my sister from the fall, you prove to me that I can trust you, too."

I tilted my head to one side. Latios turned away from me.

"Expect to see me again" were the last things he said to me before I woke up.

It was only around midnight when I shot up, panting and sweating, despite the relatively low temperature. Latias wasn't at my side anymore; I looked downstream and saw her getting a drink. She heard the noise I made and looked at me for a moment, then resumed drinking for a few more seconds before floating back under the bridge with me. She's a good source of warmth; I didn't feel like I was coming down with anything.

Saying nothing, she pushed me into a prone position with a paw and lay down herself, smiling.

For a few moments I wasn't even able to close my eyes. That dream gave my hallucinations a run for their money. It was one of those dreams that wasn't necessarily scary, but it freaks you out so much that you're afraid to go to sleep again. Latias didn't sleep, either. I could feel her golden eyes on me, and she sighed. In my peripheral vision, I could see her iris go from gold to blue. Before I could even turn my head, I felt like I went the past week without sleeping and had to shut my eyes.

-.-

I woke up very early the next morning, but even so Latias beat me. She was looking at the water and munching on one of those berries. She left two by where I was laying, too.

I picked up the berries and walked over to sit beside her while I washed them off. She smiled at me while she grabbed another berry.

_Good morning!_

"Morning," I greeted. I put the berries down before I rinsed them. "Excuse me."

With that, I dunked my head in the water and brought it back up, now wide awake. I always used cold water to wake myself up (still do). After I reasonably surprised Latias, I cleaned off the berries and started eating one. I rolled my eyes to look at her.

"...What?"

_...Do you do that whenever you wake up?_

I nodded. "Yep. I never believed in coffee."

She said nothing and resumed eating with a smile. I started reflecting on my dreams.

_So, what did you dream about that scared you so much last night?_

I looked at her. "I wasn't scared. It just creeped me out."

_You shot up, looked around, were shaking, and I had to put you to sleep myself. You were scared._

"I wasn't-"

_You're arguing with a legendary again._

"Damn," I muttered, defeated. Latias gave me that 'I win' look (you know the look), and took a drink again.

_Now, what did you dream? Either tell me or I'll poke around in your noggin and find out myself._

"Trust me, you don't want to see the inner workings of my mind..."

...is what I should've said. Instead, I went with:

"You wouldn't!"

_Legendary._

"Damn it... Fine, I'll tell you..."

...is what I should've said. Instead, I went with:

"Look, it was just a dream. It doesn't matter."

I didn't want Latias to think anything of me for dreaming her brother asking me about trust. I was afraid she'd make something of it, or maybe she'd think unconsciously I was debating whether or not I should just take the Soul Ball and run (I wasn't). Besides, it was one of those dreams I would've preferred to keep my big mouth shut about.

Her eyes glowed blue and mine widened. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and finally I surrendered.

"Alright, alright! Look, I dreamt that I was in a zombie apocalypse and got a parking ticket, okay?"

Hey, it _was_ true. I actually _did _dream that after the one with Latios.

Latias just... stared at me, probably looking for a tell (something that gives away whether you're lying or not; a twitch, scratching your head, smiling, rubbing your eye, etc), but since that was true, there wasn't one. She grinned.

_...That freaked you out?_

"It's the middle of a brain-eating apocalypse and I'm getting a ticket because I parked funny. Zombie cops freak me out."

She chirped, and looked at the fountain. She started floating towards it and gestured for me to wait. I shrugged and started on the second berry. She was almost to the bridge when she turned to look at me and smiled.

_Another two seconds, and I would've folded._

After that, she went by the fountain and I heard some voices. Sure enough, she floated back over the bridge and gestured for me to meet her, so I did. When I got up to her, Mario was waiting along with Bianca, Ash-hole, tan guy, little yellow Ben Franklin, and the red-headed girl.

"Ah, so there you are," said Mario. I shook my head.

"Nah, I left about ten minutes ago. What's up?"

"Well, I'm just surprised you got here so early, but on to business. If I had to guess, those thieves would check this place at any time today before curfew. They'll look different, but you need to be sure to act as though you're trying to steal the Soul Dew for them yourself. It's a weird plan, but... it'll give us a chance to catch them before they do any harm."

I nodded. Bianca stepped forward and handed me a little ear-piece that reminded me of a Bluetooth. "I'll call you on this when they're coming. Be ready."

I took the Bluetooth with gratitude and looked at Ash-hole. "What's your place in all this?"

"Latias will follow them from the air and I'll protect her. I just wanted to come here so we could introduce ourselves properly. You kept walking off whenever we bumped into you, after all."

I put the Bluetooth in my ear and flashed a thumbs up. "Thumbs-up for being anti-social!"

There was a brief silence. I lowered my hand. "...You people have absolutely no sense of humor, do you?"

"Not yours," muttered the red-head (her nickname was Ginger). I just shrugged. Ash-hole ignored what I said and gestured to the people around him.

"This is Brock. She's Misty. My little buddy is Pikachu."

After he said their names, they each said "hi" to me (with the exception of Pikachu). Ash-hole gestured to Latias.

"She's easy to make friends with, isn't she? Latias and I were good friends before the end of the first day we met," said Ash-hole. I nodded.

"Yeah, but she's difficult as hell to argue with."

"That's because she's a legendary-"

"I know, I've only heard it 100 times. Look, I'd love to get to know you, but I'd rather get this whole thing done first. After it's settled, you can talk at me all you want."

"Run the plan by us again. I want to be sure you know what's going on," said Mario.

"I give them the fake Soul Ball, tell them that I'm trying to help, you follow them, call the police to their position, and we're done faster than you can ask 'What could possibly go wrong'."

"It's the Soul Dew," corrected Ginger. I shrugged.

"I like my name better."

Mario nodded. "Okay, let's all get ready."

"You should go to the museum," I said to Mario.

"Yes, I think you're right."

...is what _he_ should've said. Instead, he blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

"He's right, Grandpa. You're getting too old to be running around after these guys."

"I'm in the best shape of my life!" he defended, at which point I quickly jerked towards him. He recoiled, but not quick enough to avoid my invading his personal space.

"I've seen dead guys in late rigor mortis move faster. If you want to help, you need to sit this part out."

"I'm not letting my grand daughter and Latias risk themselves," he said.

"Look around you, old man. You think any of these people and Pokémon are going to let something happen to her? Also, Latias isn't going to challenge them. With your reaction time, they'll see you tailing them, and then there will be a problem."

Mario looked around for support and I prayed he wouldn't go Super on my ass. Finally, he surrendered.

"Mama mia."

I'm not making that part up. I swear he said it. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

"...Fine, I'll wait at the museum. Don't screw this up, Sly."

Mario didn't even wait for me to respond. He turned and left, but he wasn't angry. I wasn't trying to be insulting, and thankfully he understood that.

Bianca mentioned that she'd be waiting on the roof of a nearby building, watching for anyone to walk through to the garden. It was my job to wait. Latias was also supposed to wait until they left.

Everybody got into position and I sat down in front of the fountain. Latias and I were both silent for a few seconds.

...

"Alright, where can I hang myself?"

T_T

I like to think that I'm a patient fellow. I've been stuck in a car for 9 hours before. I've been stuck in traffic for 3 hours while my Dad used every curse in the English language. However... in traffic, we still moved. Also, I was able to sleep during those trips when I needed to.

I had to keep my eyes open this entire time. Latias was as bored as I was. We ended up killing the time by getting to know each other even more.

We were waiting for four and a half hours.

Four and a half hours.

_FOUR AND A HALF FREAKIN' HOURS._

During our conversations, I would stop, ask Bianca what it looked like out there... and the answer was almost always the same: normal.

We _did_ have one false alarm. Bianca told me to get ready, but then she said she was mistaken.

"...Wait, sorry... She's not one of those thieves. My mistake."

"How can you tell?" I asked through the bluetooth.

"Well, for one thing, she walked into a back door..."

"And another?"

"...She was a dude."

That conversation happened at the two hour mark.

Since I couldn't risk getting too far from the fountain, I didn't even bother leaving it. I would get up and just stare at the real Soul Ball every now and again, and Latias would talk to me about... anything, really.

One of her favorite topics was art. I don't know anything about art... So, of course, I said "Oh, I love art".

She grinned. _Cool! What museums have you been to?_

...The one in this city? I could not think of a single museum name. Rather than just tap out and say that I was lying, I decided to lie to get out of that first lie. There's nothing smarter than that technique.

I told her that I didn't really look at art so much. I just drew cartoons. She told me she was going to make me draw her something one day. Don't ever count on her forgetting anything. I made that mistake.

_Bianca and I paint. We've been doing it for years... and it's sort of an unspoken contest. She surpasses me in talent, but I surpass her in speed._

"What do you paint?" I asked. She gestured to the garden.

_I painted this place a few times, I painted Ash and Pikachu, Altomare itself, my brother, Bianca, Lorenzo... anything and anyone._

I nodded. "Do you draw beyond stick figures?"

Latias grinned. _Of course! If you want to see any of my paintings, you'd have to ask Bianca, though. They'd just get ruined if I kept them in the garden._

I smiled. "I'll certainly ask after this is all done with."

_I want to paint you, too sometime. Would you be okay with that?_

I nodded. "I'd be flattered. Thank you."

She smiled back at me. We kept talking about her painting vs. Bianca's painting.

I suppose the long wait wasn't all bad. I had those two idiots to thank for the chance to get to know Latias better. She became my best friend.

I got to telling her a little more about the Fallen Angels. I knew she'd find out one way or another, so there it was.

Latias smiled.

_Yeah, that reminds me: were you rich and famous?_

I scoffed. "I wish. I'd be staying in a castle right now if I was rich."

The Fallen Angels were a small group of musicians with fatal flaws (with the exception of our backup guitarist/pianist). On one hand, each of us knew how to play at least two instruments. On the other hand, all but the one of us were users. I could say that I was the clean one, but I'd be lying.

There was Dennis Aldrin. He was our lead guitarist, vocalist, and could even play the trumpet. He was also the biggest a-hole in the universe. If he told you one thing, you could bet your house that he's doing another. He knew a few officers of the law and those friendships made him feel invincible. He was proven wrong 4 broken ribs and a mild concussion later.

Then, there was Jack Stein. He was the backup guitarist, vocalist, our pianist, and on occasion he played the harmonica (he wasn't very good at the harmonica). Jack was the only one in our little group that did not use. He was a little short-tempered, a terrible cook, but a very good pianist... also, he was my best friend. We were bros.

Oh, and there was my favorite band member of all time. He was our slide-guitarist, backup vocalist, and even played the pedal steel. Oh, and I don't say this about other guys, but he was hot. He still is. His name is Sly Stevens.

Finally, we had Albert Klondike. He was a very good drummer, and he played the saxaphone since childhood... but he rarely needed the latter. Albert was determined to get Jack to use something, but the answer was always something like "No, ask me again and I'll shove that needle where the sun don't shine".

We played _everything,_ but we played more for fun than for money. As a group, we were okay, but... I never thought that we'd cut it as a huge band. We stayed together for around a year and a half. One day, though... I'm sitting in my house watching TV, and Jack practically breaks down my door. I answered, and he demands to know where Dennis is.

I'd never seen anyone that angry before. I can't describe how furious he was, but he wouldn't tell me why. I asked him, and he threatened to beat me to death with a tire iron. After he was reasonably sure that I didn't know where Dennis was, he got into his car... and he was such a freakin' lead foot that I thought he was going to flip his car turning off my block. Jack was always like that.

I later found out that Dennis tried to sleep with Jack's younger sister against his and her wishes. Jack was the one that showed Dennis how invincible he was. He keyed his car, walked up the driveway, knocked on the door, and just destroyed him. He broke 4 of Dennis' ribs, his nose, gave him a concussion, and punched him with his keys between each knuckle. Jack got arrested for the assault and was removed from the band.

I left a few weeks after Jack. Yeah, one reason was what Dennis tried to do. Jack's sister was barely into her teens when he put the moves on her. The other reason was... well, my family had enough of my addiction. They staged an intervention and I went into rehab. I'm proud to say that I've been sober ever since, so don't try to use that story against me, alright?

The Fallen Angels disbanded about a month after I left because they never looked for replacement musicians. Jack ended up getting out of prison after a few months. He had community service to do, but... he was shot and killed before he could finish... and three months after he died, I got hit by the car and ended up here.

I told Latias everything, even my story about the drug use. Since getting home was not going to happen shy of another high speed collision, I thought I might as well just put that stuff out of the way. Latias trusted me with her life, so I felt like I shouldn't hide any parts of mine. She told me that she thought Dennis sounded like a jerk, but that he didn't deserve to be hurt like that. Since Jack and I were bros, I had a legal obligation to hate Dennis as much as he did.

She absolutely hated me when I said I did drugs, but gave me a short nod of approval when I told her that I sobered up. Also, she wanted to talk more with me after this whole conflict was over with. Sure enough, she chewed me out _big time_ for using.

"Hey, look alive! Get Latias out!"

I gestured to Latias to leave, and she vanished before my eyes. I immediately got up and stared down at the Soul Ball until I heard the two women behind me.

"Well, well, well... I didn't think we'd see you again," said one. I didn't face them.

"Where's Latias?" demanded the other. I didn't face them, and I didn't say anything.

"You're going to give us that Soul Dew."

Finally, I said something.

"Okay."

I reached into the fountain and took the Soul Ball from the fountain. Finally, I turned to face them.

The disguises these two used were actually pretty good. They dyed their hair and were using normal styles now, and they also were using different clothing. If I ran into them on the street, I wouldn't have known who they were.

I held out the Soul Ball and they stared.

"Give it here!"

I walked up to them.

"Sell it. Make them believe that there's no reason to search the garden anymore," said Bianca. I didn't acknowledge her. I handed the Soul Ball to one, and the other just... stared.

"You made the right choice today, kid."

I shrugged. "Truthfully, I wouldn't have helped that girl if I knew it was Latias. I want to see just what kind of power she has, too."

"Then why get in our way?" asked the one I gave the Soul Ball to. I wasted no time responding.

"There are some things even I won't do, and one of those things would be attacking a woman."

"And yet Latias is female."

"Well, yeah, but... she's got power that I want. Also, she's not human."

There was a brief silence. I gestured to the garden around me. "I've been here for four and a half hours, and there's no sign of Latias."

"She can bend light around her body and become invisible, you know."

I shrugged. "Sure, but... wouldn't she attack me once I got my hands on the Soul Ba- Dew?"

They were silent for a moment. I continued.

"She's a pretty bad guardian if her response is apathy."

"True... but how do I know that you're not trying to help her? How do I know that this Soul Dew is real?"

"Think. A day or two ago my best defense against you was running away. Do you really think that I managed to predict when you'd show up, hide Latias, and make a new Soul Dew?"

It didn't work. One took a step forward. "Let us check the fountain, then. I want to be sure you're not lying."

They didn't wait for my response, and instead started walking to the fountain. I took a deep breath.

"Sly, this is bad. If they figure out that you gave them the wrong Soul Dew..."

As they approached the fountain, I let out a chuckle. I turned to face them, and they turned to face me. I started clapping my hands together very slowly.

"Very good. You got me."

They kept staring. I pointed. "That... that's a souvenier I stole. I wanted to see just how intelligent the cons that nearly destroyed Altomare were. You've certainly proved why you're so dangerous."

"Sly... what are you doing?"

"Just go with it," I mumbled lowly. I pushed between the two and took out the other Soul Ball. I handed it to them.

"...not a bad trick," said one of the women. I held my hand out as she took the other Soul Ball.

"Let me have the fake one back. If I place it just right, it'll give you more time before anyone realizes something is wrong."

The women handed me back the other Soul Ball, and nodded. I got a smile from the two, and right away I wanted to bathe.

"You're a smart kid. When we take over Altomare, you'll certainly be well taken care of. Meet us at the museum when you get the chance."

I nodded. The two cons left the garden, and I quickly put back the actual Soul Dew.

"Sly... what did you just do?"

"I played them. I figured that they'd suspect that the Soul Dew I gave them was fake, so I gave them the real one at first. They're still walking away with the fake, and I'm putting the real Soul Dew back right now. Don't worry."

There was a brief silence, and I heard her let out a sigh of relief.

"...I see. G-good thinking, I guess... Wait in the garden. I'll call you later."

The bluetooth went silent and I stared down at the Soul Ball.

It seemed to stare back, and it sparkled.

_It seems I can trust you..._

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>6,984 words.<strong>

**I really don't like this chapter. No matter which way I looked at it, it came out all the same. It's a bunch of the same stuff...**

**(I'm going to look at the statement above this one tomorrow and wonder what the hell it means, I'm sure)**

**Why did Sly play them like that? As I wrote that part, it felt like Oakley and K-Mart would be smart enough to check the fountain anyway. It wouldn't stop bugging me until I fixed it.**

**The last line is shit, too. Serves me right for doing this late at night, I guess.**

**Next chapter covers the cons being tailed, figuring out that it isn't the real Soul Ball, and Sly accepting a request by Latios. It's also the last chapter I have already finished. I'll try to release it in 3 days as I've been doing, but no promises on the chapter after that being released as quickly.**


	8. A Big Spider and a Cat Thing

**Chapter 7**

**A Big Spider and a Cat-Thing**

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><p><strong>"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist-"<strong>

**-General John Sedgwick's last words, uttered during a U.S Civil War battle**

* * *

><p>Commandos.<p>

I mentioned that particular word not long ago, and I doubt you understand what it means. In a perfect world, a commando is a soldier that can get anything done using quick wit and exceptional strategy. A commando is an elite soldier. There are so few in use at any moment because the training required to be considered a "commando" is very intense, and only a few are needed at a time.

Even the most skilled commando can be killed, though. The best soldier cannot defeat thirty trained men. Sometimes you need a team.

With my part done, the others were to follow the women and capture them. I had a little while to rest.

Latios started speaking to me. At first, I remember dismissing his voice as my... losing it. It kept coming back, though.

He kept asking me to agree to something, but he would not tell me what he wanted until I finally said "Yes". When I finally gave in, I saw the shape of Latios appear before me...

I was reminded of my dream, and I saw determination in his eyes. One way or another, I'd end up doing what he wanted me to do. For one thing, it felt unwise to say no to a legendary (even a dead one), and for another thing... Latios scared the hell out of me.

...You know, my memory of everything he told me that day is a haze. I only remember that first part, and I remember the last things he told me. I _do_ remember what Latias told me happened on the streets, though.

There is an old saying: Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go asunder. It simply means that no plan survives battle. There will always be flaws.

Latias' explanation of what happened on the streets proves it.

Nine years ago, the two witches that killed Latios used infared glasses to see the two legendaries even while invisible or disguised. A Latios and a Latias have lower body temperatures than humans, and infared glasses use heat signatures to make out targets. The cloaking ability does not cloak body temperature, nor will the human guise.

These two women managed to break out, but were unable to retrieve those glasses. They never noticed Latias tailing them, and Ash-hole made sure to stay out of sight. Latias even told me Bianca was hopping from roof-to-roof. Can you imagine her jumping roof-tops? Neither can I. Latias _insists_ it happened, though... and there is absolutely no arguing with her.

"...Still no sign of Latias," muttered one of the cons. The other started tossing the Soul Ball up in the air.

"She'll turn up. Once she figures out the Soul Dew is gone, she'll know where it went."

"Then we wait for her to turn up, and..."

"Altomare is _ours!_" said the other in a whisper. The con holding the Soul Ball hid it as they walked onto a busy street. Ash-hole was smart. Rather than dive behind cover whenever they looked over their shoulders, he simply just... blended in with the crowd. He'd let a group of people overtake him, and the cons wouldn't see him following.

"...Still, I'm a little... uneasy. There's no sign of that kid from nine years ago, and he knows we're here."

"I have a bad feeling, too. We got the Soul Dew from that other kid with ease... but honestly... he was a little off."

Latias agreed with them on that, and what's kind of insulting is... she didn't feel the need to keep that information from me. Thanks a lot, Latias.

They started to become paranoid after one swore she saw Ash-hole (he took a turn off the street to make sure they didn't openly notice him). The other insisted that she was seeing things, and they resumed walking.

That's where things started to go wrong. As Ash-hole avoided being seen, he missed seeing the two make a turn off the main road. There are several ways to get to the museum, and Ash-hole thought they were taking the shortest route. As it turns out, they were taking the longer one so they wouldn't be seen by so many people. I guess having a crowd around was making them uncomfortable.

They were almost to the museum and the police were on the way... but whoever was holding the Soul Ball dropped it, and it shattered.

The real Soul Dew can be destroyed, but not by sheer force. It slowly dies. The two cons figured out that I tricked them by then. I would've expected them to freak out about breaking the thing, but they studied up on it.

"I knew it! Come on, Annie!"

They turned right around and started rushing back to the garden. Latias, however... was much faster. She turned and started flying back. If those women got back first, they'd take the real Soul Ball by force... and probably try to kill me. I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of that, and they wouldn't agree to hand-to-hand combat... as if I was a capable fighter to begin with.

Again, a human being would not last 30 seconds against a big spider and a cat-thing. It was a five-alarm fire. Latias could beat them here, yeah... but then what? They'd find their way back eventually, and the police were waiting at the museum, not the garden.

With that, the plan totally changed, and my role got larger... more or less.

O.-

I was staring down at the Soul Ball in a trance, and I could hear Latios speaking to me... he was going off on his "trust" thing, and he thought he could trust me with some responsibility. To this day I think he would've preferred Ash-hole for what he wanted, but I was the only one in the garden and time was of the essence. I proved that I wasn't totally worthless so far, so he went out on a limb.

I was instructed to grab onto the Soul Dew, but not to remove it. I two-handed that thing.

For a few moments light overtook my vision, and it was coming from the Soul Dew. Since I didn't know as much about it then as I did now, I figured I broke it or something, but Latios instructed me to hold on. The light had heat to it, and it got hotter and hotter the longer I held on. My hands started to burn, but I still kept on it. Next, the heat started down my arms, into my chest... it became difficult to breathe. My heart sputtered and skipped, my legs felt like jelly...

And then I lost consciousness, but just for a few moments. When I came to a few seconds later, I still had my hands out, but I wasn't holding the Soul Ball anymore. I wasn't hot, either... I was just... disoriented. I finally got up the courage to open my eyes again, and I found myself looking up at what appeared to be an enormous Latios.

I was looking at dead Latios. His paws were extended and clutching onto something. As I looked to each side, I saw what he was holding.

He was holding the Soul Ball. He wasn't bigger; I was just inside the little Soul Ball. For a few brief moments I thought we just switched places, but that idea was shot down.

The real Latios' eyes were red. This Latios' eyes were blue.

What color are _my_ eyes, kids?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,288 words.<strong>

**Once again, it is almost 1 in the morning as I upload this chapter. I need to stop doing that. I'm too tired to re-read this chapter right now, so bear with me. I'll give it the once-over tomorrow and correct any mistakes (minus the lack of a few thousand words) then.**

**It's a shorty, I know. I can only describe someone walking for so long, and this chapter looked sort of awkward combined with the previous chapter.**

**When Sly says "kids", is he referring to someone's children, or is it an affectionate nickname given to the reader? If it's someone's kids, whose are they? Bianca's, Ash-hole's, his own, or Johnny Bravo's?**

**This is Chapter 7. Without the Prologue, there are 14 chapters in this story, and that's including the trivia at the end. What's the simplest form of seven-fourteenths? **

**Next chapter is longer. It covers Latios defending the garden to the best of his ability, and Latias trying to find Ash-hole and little yellow Ben Franklin.**


	9. I Voted For The Chair

**Chapter 8**

**I Voted For The Chair**

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><p><strong>"Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They're just brave for five minutes longer."<strong>

**-Ronald Regan**

* * *

><p>I wasn't quite sure of what to think. Everything that was going on lately was downright strange. Did he really just do... what I thought he just did?<p>

...

He did! Latios jacked my body! For a few moments, I was outraged. I thought he was going to leave me in this thing when my life was (appearantly) not over yet.

I gulped when he spoke through his mouth and I understood it.

"I know you're confused, but you need to trust me once again. You will regain control of your body as soon as the threat is dealt with."

He turned to leave. I assumed those two cons figured out that I played them.

"Wait!" I shouted. He stopped, and looked over his shoulder at me.

"I have a bunch of questions, such as... what the hell just happened?"

Latios gave me a sorrowful gaze. "I'm sorry, but your questions do not outweigh the situation at hand. I'll repeat myself: You will regain control of your body as soon as the threat is dealt with."

Latios was just like his sister. There was no arguing with him, either. I just fell silent and looked around as best as I could, and I froze up.

Latias was floating not far off from the fountain, and judging by the look on her face... she saw the whole thing, and heard Latios, too.

"...Brother?" she croaked out. Latios turned away from me to see his sister.

I could see Latios falter a little. She didn't even let him say a word before she was on him. She hasn't seen her brother in nine years... and he was not going to be around for very long.

He returned the hug she gave him and she started sobbing.

"...You... you're... but..."

Latias couldn't finish a single sentence. She was sobbing so hard... it hurt to even watch. Yeah, she could be cheery and sweet, but... she really _did_ miss her brother.

I tried to swallow a lump that just wouldn't stay down. Seeing them re-unite like that... it make me think of my family again.

"I'm so sorry, sister... Your friend took my place in the Soul Dew so it remains stable. I've only returned to keep those horrible people from trying to destroy our city again."

I tried to say something back to them, but... Latias couldn't hear me. I figured Latios was the only one that could still hear me. Being inside the Soul Dew was confusing. I was able to see through the fountain and view the world around me. That moment between Latios and Latias made me want to cry, but I wasn't able to while inside it, or as a part of it, or whatever happened to me. It made me uneasy, actually. I was able to understand their speech now. Humans can't understand pokémon speech.

They didn't get the chance to catch up, or to say "I miss you" or anything. Latios must've sensed something was wrong, because he gently broke free of his sister's grip.

"I'm sorry, but those two crooks are close. Hide, sister. If they get the better of me, find Ash, and be quick. If they get ahold of the Soul Dew and we don't recover it in time, your friend will die."

...

"...Wait a minute... is there another friend under circumstances identical to mine?"

Latios ignored me. His sister nodded and vanished again. He shot me a look (either me or the Soul Ball), and turned invisible, too.

They were on their way, but not here yet. I know this sounds crazy, but I kind of wished they would've arrived sooner. See, I figured out that I can imagine a past memory and it would play itself out in the Soul Ball. However... sometimes you remember something you want to forget.

I was plagued with 15 minutes of reviewing gopher family footage. That was a scary hallucination.

When they finally got here, though... my memories stopped playing out and I was able to watch the exchange occur.

Think about it: On one hand, these crooks didn't have those glasses anymore, so Latios should be able to attack without being seen. On the other hand... they likely had an ace up their sleeve. Latios was able to turn invisible... maybe they planned on spraying dirt on him, or something. Maybe they planned on going after the Soul Ball so he'd _have_ to reveal himself.

I figured that they wouldn't be expecting Latios, so he had an advantage there. Still, though... these two broke out of a maximum security prison and have been avoiding capture ever since. If they were stopped again, Latias would probably still want them on a life term. Personally, I voted for the chair.

...

Oh, uhh... capital punishment is certainly a last resort, and uhh... he who seeks revenge should remember to dig two graves... I have to say that, or Latias and Bianca will kick my ass for filling your heads with violence. Don't tell them I'm cussing, either.

I digress. When they finally got to the garden, Latios and Latias were hidden. They were smart enough to have their arachnid and two-tailed cat out and prepared for a fight. Bianca didn't follow them into the garden. I assumed she lost them or went to the police.

They paused, and one gestured to something on the ground before the fountain. It was that bluetooth Bianca lent me.

"Wasn't the kid wearing that?" asked one of the girls. I scoffed to myself.

"...He must've dropped it... doesn't even look like he's here anymore."

"Well, even so... be careful. I don't want you falling for any more tricks he might be trying to pull."

"Wait... me? _I _didn't fall for anything, Oakley! It was all you!"

"No, way. It was your fault!"

"Who was holding the Soul Dew?"

"Who gave back the Soul Dew?"

They started arguing in the middle of the garden. They actually _stopped_ walking towards the fountain and went at each other for a good five minutes. While I knew it wasn't the time, the fight was pretty entertaining.

Latios finally shut them up with grabbing the spider and throwing it into the air faster than anyone could react. He landed with a heavy _THUD_ but managed to stand back up.

"What was that?"

"It must be Latias! We'll continue this discussion later! Umbreon, try psychic!"

The little cat-guy started to glow blue a little, but the glow faded after a few seconds. It started darting its head back and forth, and I could see an "Oh, damn" look wash over its face.

"...What are you waiting for? Do it!"

At that time I didn't know why it couldn't use that attack on Latios. It used it on me, and I'll be damned if it wasn't effective. Now I know that it was because Latios was moving so quickly. The cat wasn't able to get a good fix on him, and it also didn't help that he wasn't visible.

Eventually, it actually became disoriented from looking back and forth so much. Latios took the chance and threw himself into Umbreon, knocking it back several feet.

On his return to the sky, however, the spider managed to hit him with some webbing. It wasn't too much; he was still able to move... but it was enough to give away his position.

With his invisibility no longer useful, Latios became visible. The utter shock the attackers had gave him enough time to lay the spider-thing out. I didn't know at the time what he was using, but he basically breathed on the offender. Now I know it's called Dragon Breath.

...As powerful as that move was... the spider-guy got back up. I assumed someone was training it while its trainer was in jail, so I expected it to be a little stronger, but... I had to hand it to the pokémon: their endurance was very impressive.

"...but that's not possible! Latios is... is dead!"

"Eh... uhh... so... no hard feelings, right Latios?"

He sent the two a glare that would make a demon flinch. One finally shook off her surprise and a look of absolute greed spread across her face.

"Well, well... looks like we won't need Latias again after all. Umbreon, confusion!"

Latios didn't even bother dodging the attack. He kept floating in the same spot, and for a few moments he glowed blue. He shut his eyes, and then they shot open again.

The cat-guy (Umbreon) jolted. Latios shook his head as if to say "I don't think so".

The blue light around his body suddenly vanished, and it quickly returned- this time around Umbreon. The little cat-guy flew into the air and hit the ground over, and over, and over again.

"Agh! Ariados, poison sting!"

Latios was too caught up in knocking the stuffing out of the Umbreon to avoid the attack by the spider.

The Ariados thing shot these purple barbs from its mouth at Latios, and scored a direct hit. Latios didn't stop his attack right away. Instead, he let out a low growl and clenched his teeth. He managed a few more smashes, and then he released the Umbreon.

It didn't get up. Even Ariados stumbled in surprise. Latios turned his attention to it, next.

Something was wrong. I could see that the poison was already having an effect on Latios. He wasn't showing many outward signs of distress, but one of the few was his quivering as he floated. He wasn't shaking in the slightest a moment ago. I passed it off with ease. This is a legendary guardian. I didn't think a little poke would be a big deal.

"Ariados, string shot one more time!"

The spider started shooting webbing at Latios again, but he was prepared for the attack and flew out of the way.

"Keep firing!"

Ariados didn't let up. It ceased to be about capturing Latios and became a battle of wills. Would Latios need a minute to breathe, or would the poison stop him? Maybe Ariados would run out of webbing, or Ash-hole would show up to assist... where the hell was he, anyway?

I happened to glance at Umberon once more and saw it standing again. It shook its head to clear it and looked at Ariados trying ill-fatedly to hit Latios.

"Okay, enough! Try swift!"

"Umbreon, confusion!"

I can't really describe the move Ariados used. It was... it almost looked like it was spitting stars at Latios, and no matter where he tried to fly, they'd find him.

He got hit hard. As he fell out of the air, the Umbreon's attack landed and threw him up and down into the stone path with a lot of force. He opened his eyes again and tried to fly into the air, but he was too slow.

"Ariados, poison sting one more time!"

He got hit again, and another dose of poison entered his (my) body. Latios cried out in pain, but even with the attack finished, he started floating again.

"I don't believe this..."

Latios had incredible stamina like the two pokémon he was fighting. Even after a pounding like that, he managed to get into the air one more time.

He was clenching his teeth, and although he was able to float, it was through a lot of effort. He could hardly move.

"Umbreon, bite!"

The poison flowing through Latios was fast acting and potent. His dodge was slow, but he managed. I could hear his breathing becoming labored. One of the two cons actually looked a little worried about his health.

"Uhh... Oakley? We should defeat him soon and get rid of that poison. He's not looking too good, and he's no good to us dead."

"Oakley" didn't respond to her partner. She directed the Umbreon to keep trying to bite Latios until it succeeded. The Umbreon actually faltered a minute after studying Latios' condition. It shook its head and leaped for him, but he managed to get out of the way.

It became a game of evasiveness that Latios would eventually lose. The poison in his body made his movements slower, and he gradually sunk lower and lower to the ground.

I can't describe what I felt at the same moment Latios was bitten. It felt like a shiver going down your spine, and it was followed by a feeling of determination. I looked at Latios, and saw him sink to the ground. I shut my eyes, and I could see Ash-hole running into the garden with Latias in tow.

It wasn't over yet.

Ash burst through the illusion that tricked so many, and he ran towards the battle. He saw Latios, but gave no more than a surprised expression. It wasn't the time for shock and awe.

"Stop!" he shouted. Both cons turned to look at him.

"Agh, it's that kid. Annie, stay here and keep him busy with Umbreon. Ariados will carry Latios one more time."

"Oakley, I-"

"Just stop him! I don't care if you have to fight him yourself. Just... do it!"

Annie looked away from Oakley and towards Ash. He called for Pikachu to fight.

"Umbreon, let's go!"

The little cat-guy leapt over Annie's shoulder and stared down Ash. They started their battle, but... I wasn't paying much attention to it.

I was more interested in the hand that was reaching into the fountain and yanking on the Soul Dew. When it finally came loose, I felt empty. It was an emptiness that threatened to consume my mind. At that point, I knew the gravity of the situation.

If the Soul Dew was not returned to the fountain soon, not only would I cease to exist, but the town would, as well.

I remember trying to reach out and free myself from the little ball, but there was nothing I could do. All I could do was watch that horrible person take us away. She held the Soul Dew in her hand, but that is all she thought she held.

In reality, she held the lives of everybody in Altomare.

"Latios, wake up!" I shouted. Neither the woman, the spider, or the dragon responded.

I was helpless as we left the garden and walked the streets.

Latios was motionless.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,405 words.<strong>

**I'm not dead sure what Latios' attacks are, but I think I got them for the most part. I've got nothing else to really say about this chapter.**

**One of you mentioned Regan's quote at the beginning not making much sense, but that's my mistake. "Braver" was actually supposed to just say "Brave".**

**Next chapter covers battling both cons. **


	10. A Big Ol' Feathered Baby

**Chapter 9**

**A Big Ol' Feathered Baby**

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><p><strong>"A man not willing to die for something is not fit to live."<strong>

**-Martin Luther King Jr.**

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><p>I was trying to figure out something new that I would be able to do. If I could figure out a way to slow or stop the progress away from the fountain, Latios could have a chance to wake up.<p>

I wondered about the police. If we were heading for the museum, wouldn't they just arrest her? Maybe she'd use Latios as a hostage... I didn't know what to think.

I could do nothing to stop them. Instead, I became preoccupied with what was going on inside the Soul Dew.

Something was wrong already. Inside the Soul Ball, you can see all around if you chose to. I could see everything, but... my view was a little darker. It was sort of like clouds were rolling into the sky, but it was a clear day when I looked up.

I assumed the darkened perspective was my imagination at first, and so I shrugged it off.

I kept calling out to Latios, trying to get him to wake up, but he wouldn't budge. I even went against my better judgement and started calling him names, but... he was out like a big ol' feathered baby.

For obvious reasons I didn't see the battle in the garden between Ash-hole and that con that stayed behind while I was being Dew-napped. Latias told me all about it when I recovered from the injuries Latios left me with.

T.T

Although I've said that I didn't think battling was such a great thing, my opinion changed a little after I heard of the one between Ash-hole and one of the cons.

He didn't quite understand why Latios was back from the dead, but he agreed to assist Latias anyway. It's what friends do. She assured him she'd explain after everything was done, and so he went along without question.

His Pikachu was a little chubby yellow mouse with a red spot on each cheek. Even with how innocent he looked, though... he was very strong. I would hate to be on the receiving end of one of his shocks.

The Umbreon was weakened from the fight with Latios, but it still kept on going. Pikachu had the advantage in terms of stamina, but... if that cat-guy was able to stand up to a legendary and remain conscious, then it was going to be a problem for Pikachu.

"Try thunder!"

Thunder is a lightning attack. Pikachu charges up some electricity and shocks the opponent with it, causing discomfort in Pokémon and the possibility of death in most humans.

"Dodge it!"

Pikachu electrocuted the Umbreon despite the order for the latter to dodge. The problem with dodging lightning is... it's moving at the speed of light. It's difficult, nay, impossible to dodge out of the way of an attack moving at 186,000 miles per _second._

Needless to say, Umbreon was hit. Even with an attack like that, it got back up and glared at Pikachu. What's weird is, that glare is an actual attack called "leer". It's supposed to intimidate the opponent...

..but Pikachu wouldn't let intimidation get in the way of his battle. He knew to take action even in the face of fear. He was a mouse of great courage. He started darting around the Umbreon as quickly as he could when the con gave the order to use "psychic".

The woman that stayed behind told Umbreon to keep trying. If Pikachu ran out of energy, the psychic attack would land. If the Umbreon couldn't keep it up, Pikachu would have an opening.

From what I gathered, the stalemate continued for about five minutes. It doesn't sound like a whole lot of time, but sprinting as fast as you can for five minutes straight is tough, and keeping a psychic attack up for five minutes isn't a picnic, either.

Pikachu, unfortunately, was the one that ran out of stamina first. The good news was, the Umbreon was getting very tired, and all it could manage was to pick him up and throw him. He easily landed on his feet and was on the field again.

Both were tired, so the con tried to convince Ash-hole to give up to buy her Umbreon time to recover a little.

"My Umbreon here stood up to Latios again. Even after taking a bit of a beating, we won. You don't stand a chance."

"I don't have a fancy legendary battle story to tell you, nor can I say that I was the only reason you ended up behind bars. What I _can_ say is, I don't care if you stood up to the devil himself. You're going down one way or another."

"Look at your Pikachu- it's tired already."

"As is your Umbreon."

"My Umbreon stood up to Latios. You can't defeat us."

Ash-hole smirked. "That's what the bad guy always says before a beating. Pikachu, bolt tackle!"

A bolt tackle is basically what happens when you combine electricity with... tackling. Pikachu charged up his body and started running for Umbreon.

"Umbreon, dodge!"

The Umbreon managed to dodge the attack, but in its exhausted state it failed to realize its mistake.

In order to dodge the attack, the Umbreon jumped into ankle deep water. Water conducts electricity. Ash-hole pointed to it.

"Pikachu, thunder on the water!"

"What? Agh, Umbreon, move!"

It was another failed attempt at dodging lightning. Umbreon got shocked again, and since it was wet, the attack _hurt._

"Umbreon!"

Even after an attack of that magnitude, the cat-guy struggled to stand. It trudged its way out of the water and before Pikachu again. The con was pleased.

"Good, now try-"

She couldn't even finish her sentence. Umbreon fell over and squeezed its eyes shut.

"Umbreon, no!"

The woman fell to her knees before the cat-guy. Ash-hole approached.

"Get up, and call your Umbreon back."

She didn't respond, but slowly stood and reached into a jacket pocket. Ash-hole thought that she was reaching for the ball, but...

...Something glistened in her hand. Latias said that the look on her face was one of disbelief, like she couldn't believe what she was about to do. She was bad, but... she wasn't nearly as bad as her friend was.

It was a shank that she must've made out of a toothbrush in jail. As she turned to Ash-hole to try and hurt him, she flew backwards into the water. The shank flew from her grip, and Latias became visible again.

When Ash-hole saw the shank fly from the woman's grip, he paled. She actually intended to kill him. Ash-hole couldn't get to sleep on his own for the next few days.

Other than losing color in his face, Ash-hole said nothing. He demanded the Umbreon's return and had the woman walk out of the garden.

Latias used some type of psychic power to make sure that the con didn't flee. She wordlessly led Ash-hole and Latias to her friend.

The trip was dead silent.

O.O

My view of the world around me was even darker now. Black obscured the edges of my vision, and I could feel my consciousness slowly leaving me. There were no other souls in the alleys, so nobody would step up to be a hero.

I wasn't able to wake Latios up. The poison in his (my) body was likely too much. I could do nothing.

"...Please, don't do this," I said to the con. I knew she couldn't hear me, but I had to try something.

"...Please, I... I don't feel so great. Put me back in the fountain..."

She still didn't respond. I looked at Latios through my gradually darkening vision.

"Wake up, please..."

We kept moving slowly, and Latios was stirring, but only a little.  
>"You need to open your eyes, Latios... Do it now."<p>

He didn't respond. I kept at it.

"...your whole town will be underwater if you do not, and your stand against those two will have been for nothing."

His breathing changed a little for a second. I felt a little better for a minute. He was still able to hear me, after all...

"Wake up. Your father would want you to wake up and fight some more."

He needed to do something. The vision problem was starting to become serious. It wasn't overcast in my eyes anymore. Now, it was dusk. I wasn't doing it just for my own well-being, though. I didn't want the town underwater, and I certainly didn't want anything bad to happen to anyone in town.

"Is this how you want things to end? Do you want Altomare to be destroyed? Do you want Bianca to die? Lorenzo? _Your sister?_"

His eyes slowly opened.

"Yeah, that's it. Just like that. You took my body from me and changed it, you told me you'd return control once the threat was dealt with. Threat's still live. Latios, there's time to turn it around, though. Show this woman what you're made of."

He blinked a few times, but didn't get up right away. I saw a look in his eyes... he had a plan.

Rather than move around and arouse suspicion, he waited for the woman and spider to lower their guard. Once he was reasonably sure that their minds were wandering, he flew off the Ariados' back and breathed on it again.

He faltered after his attack, but righted himself quickly. I saw determination in his eyes. He was poisoned, but he wasn't going to be the damsel in distress again.

"Aw, did our little trip wake you, Latios? Don't worry, we'll put you back to sleep again soon. Ariados, poison sting again!"

The Ariados started shooting the purple barbs from its mouth again, but none hit Latios. They stopped in midair, and actually turned around on the spider, courtesy of Latios.

An Ariados has natural immunity to its own toxins, so the poison had no effect on it... but the barbs stabbing into it managed to make it flinch.

The bad news was, the spider guy was largely recovered from the fight in the garden. It was going to take more than being poked to take it down.

Latios was still in pain, and the Soul Dew was getting worse. Not only was I having more difficulty seeing, I was also losing my consciousness... my awareness of who I was.

I was losing myself.

The con told Ariados to use swift again. Latios couldn't avoid the attack. It caught him in the chest and actually left some pretty deep gashes. Latios fell to the ground, but got right back up as if nothing happened.

The spider-guy stumbled back in surprise. Through my hazy vision I saw Latios' wings start to glow a pure white light, and he hurled himself at the Ariados. I didn't know the name of the attack at the time, but I do now. Steel Wing is my second favorite attack.

The strike threw the Ariados back several feet. It didn't get up for a second. Latios followed through with Dragon Breath while the con shouted at the spider to get up.

Now the battle was fair-ish. Both Latios and Ariados were hurting. The only thing was... the poison was still a serious issue. Though adrenaline was keeping him in the fight, I knew that he was really hurting. It was sapping his strength, and he was flying lower to the ground... but even so, he found energy where there was none and managed to throw together another attack.

I call this move the Piledriver because I don't know what the name is, even today. Latios grabbed the Ariados and lifted him into the air. They kept flying upwards until I couldn't see them through the dark haze anymore.

I heard the con yell "Poison sting" again, but I couldn't see what happened. I figured they hit, because Latios came flying headfirst down to the ground- with Ariados still in his arms. As it turned out, that was part of the move.

No more than a second before he would've smacked the pavement headfirst, Latios threw the Ariados down into the ground _hard_, and flew to the side before righting himself.

By now I could only barely make out the silhouette of the spider, and it lay crumbled on the path, not moving an inch.

"...A...Ariados..."

The con fell to her knees, and the Soul Dew rolled from her grasp. I looked at Latios, and he lifted the Soul Dew into his paws.

"Hang in there, once the Soul Dew is returned to the fountain, you'll be free..."

"Latios!"

Through the haze I could make out Ash-hole's silhouette, along with that of Bianca, Ginger, the Terminator, and Latias. I couldn't see their facial expressions through the fog, but I would bet anything that each wore a mixed look of shock and concern.

The two cons stared at each other. Latios gestured to his sister.

"I need to bring the Soul Dew back to the fountain right now. Have Ash bring those two to the police, and have everybody meet in the garden. Sly's going to need some serious medical attention."

Latios looked down at the Soul Dew and cringed. "Sorry..."

I was too out of it to respond at the time.

Latios hustled to get back to the garden, and for good reason. By that point, my vision was so obscured and my mind so shattered that I couldn't see more than faded silhouettes. I could hardly think rational thoughts (as if I ever could).

We actually startled a few people we didn't know. I don't think Latios had enough energy to turn invisible. Everything he had was going towards getting the Soul Dew back in time. Needless to say, a few people let out screams. A few tried to follow him, but there was no keeping up with a legendary at this speed.

I blacked out on the trip back, and I don't know how long it was. If I had to guess, I'd say it was for just a few minutes.

When I regained consciousness again, the Soul Dew was back in the fountain. I knew because... my mind was functioning again and I could see clear as day.

It was around then that I was really able to see just how badly Latios was injured. There were a few catscratches on his face, and deep gashes on his chest and belly. One of his paws was dripping a little blood, his feathers were matted with dirt, and I could see some bruising become evident, too. I cringed.

Returning to my body was going to _hurt_. I wondered how bad I'd look when he gave me my humanity back.

He was staring down at the Soul Dew, and I saw how grateful he was to me. He smiled a warm smile at me for the first time.

"You have my thanks, Sly... if you didn't stumble into my sister's life, we might have been defenseless..."

"Sure, glad to do it. I'm kind of nervous as to how bad I'll look when you give me my body back."

Latios let out a sigh through his nostrils. He eyed me morosely.

"Before I return control to you, there's something you need to know."

"What is it?"

"...you wonder what you'll look like when you re-take your body... but the thing is, you're looking at what you'll look like."

I didn't get it at first. "What do you mean?"

"It's complicated... but what you need to know is... in order for me to properly defend the Soul Dew, you had to change shape."

I kept staring.

"This body is not exactly the same as the one I had in life. The eyes are different, the feathers look a little different... This is you, Sly. This is what you would look like if you were born a Latios. This is the body I would have to return you to."

I was silent.

"In order to defeat those two, you gave up your humanity."

We stared at each other for a few moments, and finally I piped up.

"So why the hell did I trust you? You told me one thing and did another. You're so full of shit your eyes are brown."

Now it was _his_ turn to be silent. I vented.

"Why couldn't you tell me that during the dream? Huh? Be honest."

"You would've said 'no'," he said simply. I stared.

"No shit. You robbed me of my humanity, robbed me of my _body..._ you invaded my dreams... you stuck me in the Soul Ball... why should I ever have trusted you?"

He smiled mournfully. "Because rather than keep your body for myself, I'm returning it to you. I know I kept you in the dark, and I know you have every right to hate me, which is why I'm going to give you a gift. It will do nothing to make up for what I've... done, but it's the best I can do. If nothing else, please understand it was for the greater good. I apologize."

I was silent for a few moments.

"...Yeah, I guess if you didn't do that... things could've turned out another way."

He was about to say something, but I continued.

"Still, I don't accept your apology. Not yet, at least. Just return to me what you've taken, and let me sleep the sleep of the dead on it."

He smiled mournfully at me one more time. "Of course," he said softly. "You'll be bombarded with all the punishment your body has endured when you return, and you will black out. With time, however, you'll heal up nicely."

There was a pause, and his (my) eyes glowed blue. "Thank you," he said. With those words, I shut my eyes...

...and felt like I was being hit by a train and poison-laced arrows. The injuries on my body burned, stung, ached, and stabbed. The poison coursing through my veins made my abdomen throb, as if I'd been stabbed.

All at once the worst pain I could ever imagine hit me. I blacked out as Latios said I would, but not before feeling the pain for a few slow seconds.

I fell to the floor, and shut my eyes.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>3,060 words.<strong>

**If I had a dime for every downright strange story I've ever written, I'd have...**

**...80 cents. Almost enough for a pack of gum, mind you.**

**The once over in the morning thing is becoming a routine. **

**You know how I said this story is 14 chapters? It's actually 13. You see, I have a notepad on my computer with all story names and chapters, and next to each chapter is a few words describing what I'm aiming for in the chapter (i.e the thieves return to the garden, Latios attacks, etc). Well, as I read to see what I was looking at for next chapter, I realized I wrote the same thing twice. In a way, you'd see two of the same chapter. I had to omit that one, and now we're almost done.**

**Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.**

**Next chapter covers Sly waking up, and a bunch of other crap that I probably shouldn't spoil.**


	11. If I Still Had Fingers

**Chapter 10**

**If I Still Had Fingers**

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><p><strong>"It's stopped."<strong>

**-Joseph Henry Green's last words, upon taking his own pulse**

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><p>I remembered what I dreamt about while I was unconscious. I was on that lake thing again... only this time, Latios was smiling at me.<p>

"I want to explain my gift to you," he said. I blinked, and looked myself over.

I cringed at the gashes on my body, and... I didn't feel the way I did in my other dream. My body felt foreign, like I was stuck in a tank or something and told to drive it. I could move around, but it felt weird... also, flying was certainly out of the question. I knew nothing of how to use this body.

"You feel different because you are different. You're not used to what you are now. My gift to you is instinct. Rather than have to figure out how to use your new form, your instincts will guide you. When you wake up, you'll know how to use all the skills your new form has to offer. If you decide to take on a human guise, you will appear as who you were before. Remember that you can not use verbal speech to converse with other humans."

"...Got it, I guess... and you're saying I know how to use all my skills?"

He shook his head. "Not until you wake up. Additionally, you need to meditate once a week for three hours. It will keep your mind sharp and your psychic powers strong. Meditating isn't that bad. Just bring yourself to memories you enjoy, and it'll go by quickly."

"Thanks for the advice."

"I owed you one."

"You owed me three."

Latios gave me a friendly smile, and he continued.

"You can do as you please when you wake up. If you wish to leave Altomare and return to the mainland, nobody will stop you. I only suggest that you keep a low profile around people you do not trust. Believe me, you do not want that type of attention. Also, stay away from humans if you leave... unless you want to be caught."

For the first time in a while, I smiled at Latios... and then the dream ended.

Next thing I know, I hear familiar voices. My muscles were sore and my head was pounding.

"That's just... incredible. He actually did _that?_"

"It surprised even Latias. She definitely wasn't prepared for it."

"I don't think any of us were, Lorenzo..."

"What are we going to tell him?"

My head felt like it was underwater. I could hear everybody, but they were all muffled. I even could hear my heart beating steadily in my ears.

"Hey, Lat... _Sly_ is waking up. Ash, dim the lights..."

When I opened my eyes, I was bombarded with blurs of color, and I was seeing spots. I couldn't focus on anything.

"Sly, take a breath..."

I don't remember who said it, but I obliged. Suddenly, my head wasn't as messed up. I was able to make out faces.

Ash-hole couldn't take his eyes off me. For a minute I thought he was wondering why Latios chose me and not him... but he was really just absolutely fascinated with what happened to me. I would've flipped him off if I still had fingers.

I was about to say something to them, but... nobody would understand me.

Bianca put her hands on her knees and looked me in the eye, a gentle smile on her face. She started talking to me like I was four years old.

"How are you feeling, big guy?" she asked softly. I didn't need words to get my point across. The look on my face was enough.

She dropped the act and smiled again.

"Sorry... I didn't know how you'd react to what you are now... you know, don't you?"

By instinct I used telepathy. _Of course I know..._

She seemed surprised at how fast I picked up telepathy, and everyone was shocked when I actually floated off the bed.

It's not possible to describe what I did to float that day. I just remember... it was like standing up. You don't really need to think to do it... provided you have the means.

"Woah, you're a quick learner!" said Ash-hole.

"I'll say!" agreed a voice I wasn't familiar with. I glanced over my shoulder at the source of the voice and saw Pikachu.

Even with my innate ability to use this body... it was going to take some getting used to.

_Latios taught me how to do this stuff. _

I groaned a little and put a hand... _paw _to my chest. Lorenzo gestured to the bed.

"You need more rest... you're badly injured... Sly..."

Lorenzo didn't really feel comfortable with me the way I was now for a month or so. I knew better than to protest or make him even more uncomfortable, so I obliged and lay back down.

Curiously, Latias was the only one of our little group that wasn't there. I felt like she was upset or something, so I asked Bianca where she was.

"She's at the garden making sure the Soul Dew is okay. She'll be here soon... she's worried about you."

I squinted.

_Can anyone fill me in on what happened while I was unconscious?_

Bianca smiled. "We'd be happy to... but in exchange you have to tell us what happened to you, too."

_Deal._

"Okay, here it is: Ash got the two thieves to the police, and was told to meet us all at the garden. When we got there, the Soul Dew was back in the fountain, good as new... but there was a Latios unconscious on the ground before the fountain. Latias flew ahead to try to say goodbye to her brother, but he was already gone. She was able to speak with him briefly using telepathy. It was then that she was better informed of your condition. She helped carry you here."

_Those women are behind bars again?_

"Think maximum security squared. They leave their cells to shower, and even then are heavily guarded. It won't be happening again."

I smiled weakly.

"Now tell us what happened to you!"

_Well, I... I had a dream a few nights ago of Latios. He was talking to me about trust. The dream ended on good terms, and he told me to expect to see him again. After that, I start hearing his voice from the Soul Ball-_

"You're going to insist on calling it that, aren't you?"

_Absolutely. Anyway, he asks me for a favor. I wasn't going to say no to Latios, mainly because I was afraid of him. He tells me to grab onto the Soul Ball. Next thing I know, I'm inside it, and I'm looking up at an enormous Latios- what you see now._

"He changed you so he could help defend the garden again..."

_Yeah, and he left out the whole "losing your humanity" thing until after everything was said and done._

I wasn't going to outwardly admit to it, but I was very upset. While I was in the Soul Dew, I was worried about losing myself. Now, I actually _have_ lost myself. Identity is something we all take for granted, yet... you never know how much you have until it's all gone, understand?

I didn't want to be around everyone if I broke down crying. I was sure it was the wish of many to have access to the power I had access to now, but I didn't want it. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be with my family. Hell, I would've gladly sat around listening to Jack complain about his sister throwing a hatchet at him for the fourth time... but I was here now.

Jack was nowhere to be found... I couldn't see my family. In a sense, it was like _I _was the one that was alive and everyone else was dead. I felt my eyes getting ready to water up, so I shut them again and sighed.

_I feel like crap._

I felt something gently rest on my neck, and I opened my eyes to see who or what it was. It was Latias. She didn't say anything right away. The look on her face, though... it made me feel like everything was going to be alright.

We just sort of stared at each other for a few seconds. A look of kindness and affection was on her face, and a mix of anguish and happiness was on mine. She started gently rubbing my neck with her paw.

"How do you feel?" she asked softly. It wasn't telepathy. I could understand her even outside the Soul Ball now.

"Like I got possessed and beaten within an inch of my life," I said. She smiled at me.

"I'm just glad you're alright," she said.

We stared at each other for a few more seconds, and I thought back to my dream. Latios told me I could leave this island. Here I was, a powerful being that could fly faster than sound (I could feel it)... I could go anywhere on the planet. I could finally get away from the island where I nearly died _twice_...

...yet... I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay. I wanted to learn these roads inside and out, I wanted to be around Bianca, Mario, and Latias...

I wanted to be around _Latias._ I would miss my family, sure... but if I was able to be around my friends here, specifically her... I knew things would be alright. I would mourn my family, but... I couldn't dwell on it if I had people that actually gave a damn about me.

"You must stay here with Lorenzo until you've healed enough to move," said Latias, jolting me from my thoughts. "After you've recovered enough, you're free to leave the island."

Her voice changed a little when she said that last part. There was a hint of sadness, but it was like she didn't want me to feel obligated to do anything. Case and point:

"What if I don't want to leave?" I asked. She jolted and looked back at me.

"...You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"But I want to. I want to stay here and help protect the Soul Dew. I want to be here around people I actually know."

She was silent for a moment, and I saw her eyes watering.

"...You... you would do that? You would give up any future you might have to be here?"

"I gave up nothing. My future is here," I said. With those words, my neck grew tired, and I lay back again.

The others left the room and let Latias and I talk for a while, though nobody knew what we were saying. She told me about what guarding the town would be like, and she repeatedly asked if I was certain. Every time she asked, I was.

Protecting the town meant patrolling it on most days and keeping an eye out for any trouble. The trick is... if you spot something, you have to find a way to intervene without being made. For example, if someone's surfing with little blue Ryan and he or she bails and is about to smack into a wall, you cushion the impact and stay invisible.

You have to either think quickly, or use problem-finding- thinking of anything that can go wrong, and coming up with a solution beforehand.

When I learned of everything she had to do, there was no chance of me changing my mind. She did _everything_ for this town. She patrolled the city and would return to the garden over and over again. She'd meditate alone. She did _everything_ with little to no help for nine years. Sure, she'd have free-time... but caring for an island is a lot like caring for a giant baby. You have to protect it, make sure it's healthy, love it, and if it vomits on itself, you're on cleanup duty.

There were three reasons I wanted to stay. I wanted to protect the island, I wanted to be around my friends, and... I didn't really know where else I could go.

Indeed, staying in Altomare turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,063 words.<strong>

**THIS IS CHAPTER 10. Last was chapter 9. 3 more chapters after this, and one of those is just trivia.**

**I like the simile between Altomare and a giant baby, but that might be because it's 12:20 AM. By now, just assume that I'm going to look over the chapters when I wake up.**

**I figured... Latios didn't seem like the type to let a favor go un-rewarded. His reward to Sly is control. It's what I would want if I were in that situation.**

**I started off looking for a quote that worked with this chapter, and I ended up with the one that fascinated me the most. **

**Next chapter covers the Tour de Altomare, painting, stuff like that. Also, it may either take 2 days to come up or 5-ish, because I'm going away on Saturday and won't be back until Sunday. I know you'll all miss me. Like a hole in the head, right?**


	12. I Feared The Lobotomy

**Chapter 11**

**I Feared The Lobotomy**

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><p><strong>"Swimming is good for you, especially if you're drowning."<strong>

**-Jimmy Carr**

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><p>As a legendary, less-lethal wounds heal much more quickly. My worst injury was the paw injury, and even it looked like no more than a catscratch after two days passed.<p>

By that time, I was no longer stuck in bed. I was able to move around. I was able to try out some of my abilities for the first time (mostly flying, cloaking, and the human illusion). Latios' gift was a total life-saver. There's a critical time period to learn most motor skills, and I passed mine. I can't imagine learning how to fly and use all my abilities.

I was happy when I was allowed out of bed, because that day was the same day the water-race thing was going to happen. Latias and I had to go around ensuring that nobody got hurt by bailing. Momentum would carry a few towards a wall or something, and it was both mine and Latias' job to cushion the blow with our bodies.

I remember that it was a beautiful day for the event. The sun was shining, the weather was warm, and there was a nice breeze blowing in.

There were a few accidents, and Latias and I made a game of sorts out of who could block the most people. She won five to three.

The race was pretty cool, and Ash-hole was involved again. He was using that thing that sounded like Ryan, and he was neck and neck with Ginger. She was using some kind of purple starfish.

Latias told me that the first time Ash-hole entered the contest, she tried to help him win. Her brother got him disqualified because it was unfair to have a legendary helping.

Whenever Ash-hole is in a race, it's always neck and neck. Ginger won the race nine years before this one, though.

Nine years before then, Ginger won the race and earned a glass medallion like every year. Hers was the last that had Latios and Latias both on it for twelve years. They recently started making those again when the people that make them figured out that there's another Latios watching the land.

I couldn't tell who was going to win. It would look like Ginger was going to win, and then Ash-hole would inch ahead... then Ash-hole looked like he had it in the bag, and Ginger would pull forward.

It was a close finish, but when the announcers played back the clip... Ash-hole pulled ahead by a hair. It was the first time he ever won the Tour de Altomare.

For his victory, Ash-hole received a glass medallion with only Latias on it. If you put the medallion on a piece of furniture, you could make out Latias giving a warm smile in the sculpting, and under her were the words "Tour de Altomare Champion".

Last place even got a consolation prize: a coupon for a free dinner at some fancy resturant.

Even after the race ended, we all stayed out to enjoy the day.

Patrolling the city sounds boring, but it can be a lot of fun if you know what to do. Latias and I can't always patrol together, but when we can we make it fun.

Having Ash-hole and his buddies out made it a blast that day. We got to know each other better and I almost stopped calling him Ash-hole. Almost.

I learned that Brock has a crush on any cute woman that is in the proximity. I have a new nickname for him, but I have to wait until you're older. It's one of those.

We spent the rest of that day talking and laughing (Latias and I took on the human guise, but even then we had to be careful to use sign language whenever we used telepathy. If we didn't, it would look like Ash-hole, Ginger, and Man-wh... _Brock_ were having one-sided conversations with us).

I was the white elephant. We all knew my makeover was on everybody's mind, but nobody would mention it. It was just as well. At first, I convinced myself I was dreaming, and it was still the first night I spent with Latias.

.-.

Ash-hole stayed in Altomare for another day, and we all got together again. He would've stayed one more day after that, but the skipper of the boat he chartered was an old salt that wanted to get out to sea to see what he can see... by which I mean, he wanted to beat a storm that was brewing.

We still had one more day to get together, though. They all met Latias and I at the garden. Everyone was talking away, and Ash-hole said that he wanted to "deposit" some Pokémon at the Center. I didn't know what he meant, so I asked what kind of interest he gets.

He stared at me for a second, and chuckled a little.

"Very funny," he said. Latias giggled at me, too, and everyone else resumed chatting amongst themselves. I looked at Latias.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," I said. She smiled at me.

Using the humanity guise was always a bizarre feeling. It's a rush of disorientation. A second ago, you were floating in the air, and all of a sudden you're standing on the ground with opposable thumbs.

When I took it again, I had to look at myself in the fountain's water. Anybody that saw me now wouldn't guess that anything was out of the ordinary. The only thing that was different was the quality of my clothes. They weren't the filthy, disgusting fabrics I was cursed to wear indefinitely. Now, they were as clean as the day I bought them.

The day before, I decided to see what would happen if I tried to speak in human form, and... the result was anti-climactic. I thought I would hear the chirp everyone else heard when I spoke in my true form. Instead, nothing would come out of my mouth. It was as if I were on mute. The world finally found a way to shut me up.

I stared at my reflection for a few more moments. I looked human, but I didn't feel human. I felt a mix of sadness and astonishment. I felt the sadness for a good week, but it gave way with time. My astonishment lasted for a long while after that.

Latias snapped me out of my daze and gave me a comforting smile. I turned my head to see everyone leaving, and we followed.

I was sticking towards the back of the group, and she kept pace with me. I stared straight ahead, but I could feel her eyes on me.

_Are you alright?_

I didn't want to use telepathy, so I opted to sign my response.

"You have to understand. It's a... big change, to say the least. Part of me wants to mourn, and the other wants me to be happy with what I am now."

"The trick is to be able to do both," she responded. I looked at her face, and she smiled kindly at me.

"You lost something you had all your life. You have every reason to be upset... for what it's worth, Bianca and Lorenzo are here for you. I'm here for you."

I smiled at her. "That means a lot."

"You still owe me one drawing. Don't think I forgot."

This time, I let out a silent chuckle. "And you owe me a painting. Don't think _I_ forgot."

She playfully pushed my shoulder, and we kept walking and smiling.

When we got to the Center and Ash-hole did his thing, I learned all about Brock's pent-up... well, let's call them "issues with women". One moment, he's eyeing Nurse Ratched. The next, he's on a knee spouting nonsense I'd expect out of _Romeo & Juliet._

"Shall I compare your eyes to the beautiful running waters of Altomare, my dear Joy? They are deep, pure, and innocent..."

He kept going like that. Ash-hole and Ginger acted like it was a common occurance. Personally, I feared the lobotomy Ratched was likely to give him.

Brock kept doing his thing until Ginger had to literally drag him away by his ear. Later that day, it happened with another lady. It was after the second time that I gave him the new nickname and cancelled the first.

Nurse Ratched saw me and smiled. "Hello! How are you feeling, Mr. Stevens?"

I don't know how to sign "Ratched", so I stuck with saying "I'm better, Nurse Joy". She frowned, and eyed me.

"...Is something wrong with your voice?" she asked.

I shrugged, and signed "It's a long story" back to her. She nodded slowly. "Alright, then... So, you got to meet Ash Ketchum. Lucky you!"

I smiled, but glanced at Ash-hole. See, while I was recovering, he told me stories of his journies to help me pass the time, and I noticed something interesting: It seems like whenever Ash-hole goes somewhere new, he gets caught up in a shitstorm. He almost bought it trying to help four legendary birds, he got caught up with the three legendary dogs and almost keeled over, he met a little sprite called Celebi and nearly kicked the bucket, etc...

I once wondered what my life would've been like if I opted to join him on his journey. To this day, I thank my lucky stars that I decided to stay with Latias. I don't think I'd survive one exposure to Ash-hole's shitstorm.

After Ash-hole was sure he had what he wanted and Brock was restrained, we came back to the garden for a bit. Latias and I took Ash-hole for a flight against his will.

Remember how I said I really, _really_ didn't want the flight Latias gave me when I was a human? Ash-hole reacted in the same way... except I was like Latias this time. Part of me loved flying people around. In fact, it still does. It's why I'll happily fly Bianca all around the garden whenever she wants.

I almost wanted to drop Ash-hole and catch him before he landed, but simply flying around with him was enough for me. Latias and I would pass him back and forth like a ragdoll. The first time I passed him to Latias, he was scared.

"Lat-agh! L...woah! Latias! I thought... agh! I thought you couldn't carry me!"

She pouted at him. _I got stronger!_

...And then Latias, ever the prankster, decided it was a good idea to make Ash-hole think she was losing her grip. Sure enough, the moment he felt himself slipping:

"Agh! Sly, help!"

She dropped the act and smiled at him before passing him over to me. We kept the game up for a good hour or so before I got him back to the ground. The whole flight managed to get my mind off my transformation for a few hours.

We spent the day messing around like that. Ash-hole is very easy to make friends with. I always say that I woke up that morning indifferent to his departure at six in the evening, but I was saddened when the time actually _did_ come.

He, Ginger, and Brock are good people. They'll mess around with one another, but... they show unbelievable courage. Ash-hole was willing to sacrifice life itself for the greater good. When he was nearly stabbed, he could've turned and ran as opposed to pursuing the other con... but he pushed the near death experience to the side for Altomare. He pushed it aside for us.

I'll always bust his chops, sure... but that doesn't mean I don't love that guy.

We got him back to the docks by 4:50. Lorenzo and Bianca were busy in the museum, so Ash-hole said goodbye to them earlier.

The skipper of his boat was a one-eyed old salt named Cecil. He was a regular in Altomare, but just looking at the guy was intimidating. Sure enough, he was rumored to know how to kill a man with his thumb... and possibly anything he got his hands on.

He intimidated a legendary. I could say it was Latias, but... I'd be lying. The drinking/smoking thing he had going on killed him before you were born. Don't worry about that boogeyman.

When we got to the docks, Cecil was sitting on a little stool next to his boat smoking a cigar and looking very impatient. He kept glancing over his shoulder at clouds on the horizon, and then he'd look back at us.

"So, the first time I return to Altomare in nine years... and I have to help stop those same thieves again."

Latias smiled. _You have our thanks, Ash. If it weren't for you, we'd certainly be up a creek without a paddle._

He looked at me. "So... you're staying here in Altomare to watch the Soul Dew, huh?"

I nodded.

"I hardly knew you, but you're certainly trustworthy. I can feel it."

He held his hand out, and I shook it firmly.

"You take care of Latias, understand? Don't let anything happen to her."

I nodded again. After I did, Cecil pierced my eardrums by whistling.

"Oy! If yer not on this tub in thirty seconds, y'all are swimmin' back to the mainland! Let's go!"

Ash-hole let out a sigh.

"...I guess this is it, then. See you later..."

_Ash-hole, why don't you come back same time next year? We'll make a thing of it._

He smiled at me. "That's a good idea-"

"Come on, kid! I ain't sinkin' in that storm 'cause of you!"

Ash-hole glanced back at him, and then he looked at us again.

"I'll call Lorenzo when I get to the mainland and discuss it with him. He'll let you guys know."

I nodded, and Latias lurched forward to hug Ash-hole goodbye. After that, I shook hands with Ash-hole, Ginger, and Brock, and then they got onto the boat.

We stood on the docks and waved as they rode away. They all waved back for as long as we could see them. Eventually, the boat got too small to see, though. Latias directed me to a bench and told me to wait there, so I did. I sat quietly (as if I could say anything), and I looked around.

I could hear some older woman not far from me talking to someone. I had to hide my smile and silent chuckle.

"I swear it! I saw _Latios!_ _THE _Latios! He flew past me, and I tried to catch up to see what the hurry was, but... he was too fast."

"Sure, Maude... whatever you say. You saw Latios... and look: that kid on the bench isn't human, and I can walk on water."

He was _half_ right. Obviously, the water thing was wrong. If it was right, I wouldn't have had to save his ass from drowning a few months later.

Suddenly, a piece of paper on a clipboard and a pencil fall onto my lap, and I look up to see Latias eyeing me expectantly.

_Come on! Draw me something like you said you would, and in exchange, I'll paint you when we get back to the garden._

I eyed her for a few moments. _Any requests?_

_No. Anything you can draw!_

I shrugged, and slowly started scribbling away on the paper. I thanked my lucky stars that I didn't tell her I could paint. I doodle.

Latias sat down next to me on the bench but thankfully didn't look over my shoulder the entire time. I wanted to ask her where she got the paper, pencil, and clipboard from, but I figured she planned this whole thing.

Remember "Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go asunder"? Now that I think about it, it's not really 100% accurate. Even Latias' worst laid plans go off without a hitch.

I kept scribbling away, and Latias gave me as much time as I needed. It almost felt like a test. I knew she wouldn't get mad if I didn't make a pretty picture, but I was still a little uneasy.

My drawing started off as a picture of Altomare, but I stopped after the first line was drawn. I didn't know what the entire city looked like from the water, and that's the view I was aiming for. Instead, I used my mistake to keep going. I drew some guy blowing a raspberry. It wasn't such a great drawing. I just drew it because it was all that came to mind.

When I was with the Fallen Angels and Dennis got us a concert, I got something in the mail a few weeks later. It was a letter from a fellow slide-guitarist in the audience that complained about how bad I was. He even sent me a doodle of a guy flipping me the bird. He was probably right, because I was so high that day that I have no recollection of the concert, but even so I responded with "If I wanted to hear from an asshole, I'd fart", and I even included a picture of a dude blowing a raspberry- the very same I was drawing for Latias.

Basically, I was drawing the same thing for different reasons. I liked Latias. (I still do, obviously).

Once I was done, I signed the bottom and handed it over to her. She started that silent giggle again and playfully pushed my shoulder.

_You would..._

I pretended to be upset. _I put a lot into that picture..._

She smiled some more at me, and put a hand to her chest.

_Well, I. Love it._

She didn't really love it. The joke was on me. She kept the picture then, but would "misplace" it every couple of weeks and make me draw a new one for her, and eventually she started having me paint the picture to replace the missing one. She was just doing it to mess with me, but I also started to learn how to paint and draw without even wanting to. It was a by-product of the prank.

It took me longer than I'm proud of to figure out that she was just screwing with me.

Once I was done, we started heading back to the garden. Once we returned, she took her true form, and so did I.

Whenever I return to my true form, I never let it feel routine. Whenever these powers I have start to become just another part of my life, I remind myself that I'm doing something many would kill to do. I am something that many would love to see. I remind myself that while not every day is exciting, I'm defending an island from harm.

I remind myself that I'm a legendary pokémon.

Back then, however... I felt reluctant to take my true form again. I was still longing for my humanity even though it was long gone. Naturally, I let out a sigh when I saw my reflection in the fountain's water.

"Hey... do you want me to start painting you right now? It's going to take a few hours."

Looking at her, I knew she wanted to get my mind off of the past few days. It was for her as much as it was for me, though. I faked a smile and rested on the ground, and she got her materials from near the fountain.

Don't bother. I didn't get it, either. Latias is almost always ready for something. I bet if I told her a lightbulb in the museum was busted, she'd pull one out of the fountain.

She had to re-take the form of Bianca to hold the paintbrush, and she started scribbling away on the pad. She asked me not to move, and I did my best to obey.

While she painted, I was silent. Each of her movements were slow and calculated. Any mistake she might make was turned into a part of the portrait. I was sitting there for about an hour and a half while she painted. There were no words exchanged between us.

After some time passed, she asked me to take on my human guise. I blinked, but obeyed. Once I did, she resumed painting.

Once again, we said nothing to each other. She needed to focus, and I needed to stay still. While she did these things, I wanted to start meditating to get it over with, but I couldn't. Part of me seemed to think that I needed to do all my meditating in one sitting, and there was no way I'd be staying up any later than I needed to. I was very tired.

She finished the painting three hours after she started. Once she was done, she looked down at the canvas, smiled, and nodded.

_I think this is very good for three hours of work. Here, take a look._

She turned the canvas to face me, and... I was very impressed with it.

I figured out why she asked me to take the human guise again. The portrait was of my human guise and my true form, and they were back to back on the portrait. Both had the same look on their faces, and their eyes were both looking towards the beholder.

They each ended up with just a hint of a smile. It's a beautiful portrait that impressed even Mario, and that old man can be a real hardass at times.

_What do you think?_

I gently placed the canvas on the stone walkway and wrapped Latias in a hug that she returned. I smiled over her shoulder.

_I love it. Thank you for doing that._

_Thank you for sitting still. Ash didn't want to sit down when I painted him!_

I let her go, and I looked back at the canvas.

_What should we do with it?_

Latias resumed her true form, and I did the same. She smiled over at the painting.

"Tonight, it will fair just fine under the bridge with us. Tomorrow we'll take it to Lorenzo. He can hang it in his house with the other paintings, and we can see the others I made, too!"

I smiled at her.

"Sounds like a plan."

^.^

Years passed. Throughout those years, many things happened:

Ash-hole returned and got second in the next race, I learned the streets inside and out, Mario managed to stop two burglars in his museum _by himself,_ and between Latias and I...

...I don't want to sound corny or anything, but...

...

...well, here we go.

Love blossomed between Latias and I. I don't like Altomare because I'm safe and I know what I'm doing here. I like Altomare because the one I love is here.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>3,803 words.<strong>

**Okay, so you might hate me for this, but you know how I said there were only a few chapters left? I came up with another. Rather than leave you guessing as to what happened between Sly and Latias, I'm just going to throw a scene together for you. It's a strange ending, but... a strange ending is good for a strange story, I guess.**

**"I like Altomare because the one I love is here." Keep shovelling, Sly.**

**Next chapter is... "what happened between Sly and Latias".**

**After the last two chapters are up, there's trivia, so stick around if you're interested in where I got what from.**

**Oh, and want to know how I decided Ash would be the winner of the race? I flipped a coin.**


	13. The Pot Calling The Kettle 'Black'

**Chapter 12**

**The Pot Calling The Kettle 'Black'**

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><p><strong>"Somebody asked "What's the meaning of jazz?" and I said 'We're the misfits, and all I can tell you is while you're still sleeping, the saints are still weeping, because those things you call dead haven't yet had the chance to be born.'"<strong>

**-John Paul Larkin**

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><p>Now that I've told you that story, I have to tell you <em>this <em>story...

The whole story so far is much longer than the one I'm about to tell you, but that's because those events occured over the course of about a week and a half, if I remember right. The story I'm about to tell you happened literally overnight.

After about a year, Latias and I became used to the way things now were. I no longer felt so upset at the loss of my humanity, and I even became better at assisting those that live in the city.

Still, some changes were evident in my behavior. Before I became a Latios, I was not attracted to Latias. I thought she was very sweet, but we had a close friendship, and nothing more.

Even after my transformation, it wasn't until about six months into my living in the garden that I noticed myself feeling something. During those six months, Latias and I developed an even stronger bond. We laughed, we played, we talked, we smiled... Bianca would tell me that the bond between a Latios and a Latias is stronger than the bond between the Earth and the Moon. I agreed with her.

So, half a year into my new life, I started to notice myself feeling strange whenever I was around Latias. My heart would race, I'd feel anxiety, and it took a lot to look her in the eye.

I had developed a crush on Latias.

At first, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to get stuck in the friend zone- more on that when you're older, and I didn't want to jump the gun. My instincts told me how to use my body, but they didn't tell me how to chase feelings of love.

...Then again, nothing does.

Okay, so we fast forward six more months, and we come to the best night of my life.

Latias and I just re-entered the garden for the evening. By then it was around eight-ish and the sun was down.

Although a Latios and Latias have a strong bond, they are still subject to fights...

"I still can't believe that guy almost hit you," she said. "What you did was childish and immature, but... that's a little too far."

I shrugged. "You're calling it immature? That's the perfect example of the pot calling the kettle 'black'."

She frowned. Now, you're probably wondering what I was doing that was so immature, right?

...

...Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.

I walked into town square with a bunch of index cards, and I wrote "STOP TALKING!" on every one of them. After that, I proceeded to go to random people having battles, and I'd hand them the cards with a smile. Most people would laugh and go about their business. Some would smile, and write something offensive before giving the card back to me, and others would just ignore me completely.

One guy tried to fight me. I hadn't anticipated coming across someone with a fuse so short that an index card with two words on it would get him so mad. He was bigger than me. I had started walking off when he turned me around by my shoulder, and then I started backing away slowly.

I felt horrible when Latias bailed me out. She simply worked Bianca's charms and the guy backed down. Then, she shot me a glare and grabbed my hand, and then she pulled me into a random alleyway.

She was still pretty upset with me after I explained what I was doing, and my saying that "pot/kettle" thing started the argument.

"What's that supposed to mean, Sly Stevens?"

"Really? Come on, Latias. It's 'do as I say, not as I do' whenever I do something you think is 'immature'."

"How old are you? You behave like a child!"

"I behave like a child? You're the one that has to _always_ be right. You're the one that plays children's games!"

"I don't bother people with what I do! What you did was plain rude!"

"Ugh, you're impossible sometimes, Latias!"

Oh, yeah. _THAT_ cooled her down. The "STOP TALKING!" story is important for what happened later that night.

After our fight, I looked back at the alleyway from the garden, and sighed.

"I think I'm going to go back out there and do a few more rounds... I've got a funny feeling."

Latias blinked. I never, _ever_ had a "funny feeling" about the town's safety, but she was very angry with me (I left some parts of the argument out. Some choice words were exchanged).

"Right, terrific. Be back soon."

With that, I left the garden while Latias went to sleep under the bridge again.

It's rude of me to say, but I'm kind of glad she had the nightmare. If she didn't, I don't think things would've turned out the way they did.

T.T

Her dream started in the same way that I left the garden. I sighed and looked toward the alley.

"I think I'm going to go back out there and do a few more rounds... I've got a funny feeling."

She said the same kind of cold line as when I really left, and then she went to lay down. She closed her eyes in her dream, and when she opened them, she was watching me do my rounds.

I was walking through the alleyways looking for trouble. She said that the first few minutes weren't exciting, but as I walked past another alleyway, one of those thieves walked out of it and whistled.

I whirled around to see her smirking at me, and the other appeared behind me, too.

"Miss us, Latios?"

I immediately tensed up, but prepared myself to fight them. They didn't make a move.

"Oh, don't worry... we're not here to kidnap you..."

A gun cocked behind me.

"We're here for revenge."

The bullet tore through my abdomen and I immediately fell to the floor. She said that gurgling sounds escaped my lips, and I was bleeding profusely.

"It's a shame, really," said the con holding the pistol. "He was a beautiful creature."

"I agree," said the other. "I wonder how the island will react to his loss..."

"Who cares?" asked the riflewoman. "With him out of the way, the Soul Dew can be ours."

"Latias is still watching it, though..."

The one with the pistol cocked it again. "Bang bang you're dead."

_They make problem-solvers in the form of guns now..._

She said she blinked her eyes and suddenly she's standing in the Pokémon Center with Ash-hole. Nurse Joy stood before them with a stoic look on her face.

"How is he, Nurse?" asked Ash-hole. She was silent for a few moments, and then turned away.

"The bullet that hit Mr. Stevens was a hollow-point round. Hollow-point rounds tend to break apart inside the body and cause shrapnel damage. The bullet critically wounded several of his internal organs."

"What are his chances? Is he going to be okay?" asked Ash-hole. Nurse Joy turned back to them and sighed.

"If I were you, I'd cancel any plans you might have tonight."

"To wish him luck?"

"To say goodbye. He has a few hours left, if that."

She said the last sentence rang in her head over and over again. She blinked again, and then she was standing before a headstone:

_"Sly Stevens_

_Died by gunshot in 2011._

_You never know how much you have until it's all gone."_

Around then, her eyes opened and she shot up with a cry. She was panting, and then she looked up at the sky.

It was only a dream. Her heart was pounding, she was shaking, and her eyes were watering... but it was nothing more than a dream.

Around then, I made it back under the bridge. Her head shot to look at me. I smiled at her.

"Hey."

She didn't say anything back. Her eyes just... watered up even more.

"I was wrong. Everything is in order..."

There was a pause. I sighed and continued.

"I'm sorry for calling you an over-reacting (choice word here). You're right. I shouldn't be doing things like that."

She kept staring at me with a look of... it was almost a look of realization. I kept going.

"I'll try to keep my pranks on your level from now on, okay?"

She finally spoke up. "No, Sly... I'm sorry. You were right to call out my hypocrisy... and it really wasn't such a big deal."

We smiled at each other, and hugged... but we didn't let go right away. Instead, I looked into her eyes with concern.

"Why are you so teary-eyed? What happened?"

Do you remember how I said that even Latias' worst laid plans go off without a hitch? What happened next would be a prime example.

I didn't see it coming. I was staring at Latias with concern one moment, and the next I locked lips with her... or she locked lips with me.

_She_ kissed _me_. In hindsight, I understand that if she never did that, we might not have gotten together. Keep in mind that she unconsciously killed me off.

I was just as guilty, I guess. After my moment of surprise wore off, I kissed her right back. That's not to say that I wasn't confused. I was totally lost... but what else do you do in that situation?

When we finally parted, we just sort of stared at each other.

"That didn't answer my question," I said. She smiled at me through her watering eyes.

"Stop talking," she said. This time, I was prepared. We both kissed one more time, and the rest is history.

That's why I agree with Bianca's statement. Latias and I fight from time to time, but afterwards, we always become closer. Ours is a bond that cannot be broken by fighting.

Still, I don't consider us special or anything. We laugh, play, love, argue, and forgive.

That's what a family is supposed to do.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,724 words.<strong>

**I apologize for the longer-than-usual wait (I spoil you with the three-day cycle). I didn't like how this chapter was coming out before, so I had to go over it again. At night. When I should have been sleeping.**

**Even after the re-do, I still don't like this chapter... but then again, it's tough to get me to enjoy writing romantic scenes. Even if it was written by Shakespeare, I wouldn't like it.**

**Come to think of it, it's just tough to get me to enjoy romantic scenes. I roll my eyes at 95% of movies. Why I included one is beyond me.**

**"You never know how much you have until it's all gone" could be the theme of the story. This is some deep stuff, huh? **

**Next is the last actual chapter of the story. I'm supposed to go present-tense on your ass in it. After that, it's trivia. If you're interested in why I did what, read that.**


	14. I Love My REMs

****NOTA BENE- This is my first time trying to write a full chapter in present-tense. Bear with me.**

**K thx.**

**Love, Seethatguy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

**I Love My REMs**

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><p><strong>"When I was 5 years old, my mother always taught me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life."<strong>

**-John Lennon**

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><p>"I think that about covers everything super interesting that happened in my life, kids... Anything else is school and music."<p>

I'm not surprised at the response I get. Once _any_ story is done with, those kids go right off to do something else.

Telling a story telepathically is a lot like telling one verbally: Your throat sometimes dries up.

My throat feels like sandpaper... I need a drink.

"They liked that story," says Latias. The only form of response I offer is a grunt as I take a long drink from the stream. When I finally finish, I look at her.

"I hate telling those stories," I say. She frowns at me in response.

"Why?"

"They take _forever_ to tell..."

She smiles at me now, and looks out at the two human children running in our garden. (The boy is Bart; the girl Michelle).

"I'm sure Bianca appreciates you helping watch them while she shops."  
>I snort in response. Latias nudges me to get my attention.<p>

"Hey, come on... you love them."

I nod. "Of course. I love them like they're my own... it's the story that I absolutely hate telling."

"Well, you'll have to..." Latias trails off, and frowns at one of the kids. _Bart! Don't get too close to the edge. You might fall in! And tell your sister to stay in sight!_

"As I was saying, you'll have to tell it at least one more time..."

I look at her, and smile. She puts her paws on her belly and smiles down at it.

"Yeah, but I've got a few years before I _have_ to re-tell it again."

"What if I want you to tell it again?"

"Well, I'll politely ask you to use your memory."

"No you won't."

"Yes, I will..."

"You're arguing with a legendary again."

I smile at her. "Yeah, so?"

We both pause for a few moments, and she smiles at one of Bianca's kids. Then, she looks at me again.

"For all intents and purposes, that 'Stop talking' thing _was_ pretty funny. You'll make a fine prankster one day, young apprentice..."

"Well, yeah, but Jack's sister chased him around his yard with a hatchet for twenty minutes. I don't think I can top that."

There's another brief pause, and Latias looks towards the garden entrance as Bianca walks in. She smiles over at us.

"Hi, guys... thanks so much for watching them. They weren't any trouble, were they?"

_Sly watched them for most of the day. I've not been feeling so great._ Bianca smiles at me.

"How were they?"

_They were great! I didn't expect them to misbehave. They're... 12-ish now, right?_

"We're 5!" they say simultaneously. I smile at them. I knew that. It's just one of my many ways of screwing with them.

_Really? When I was your height, I was 12..._

They start giggling at my joke, and Bianca grinned one more time at us. "Thanks again, guys. Sly, you must be exhausted."

I am. With Latias incapacitated, I've been patrolling the city by myself. When Bianca offered to do it for me today, I jumped at the chance... of course, it wasn't until _after_ I agreed that I learned that there would be no rest for me.

I love those kids, but... I love my REMs, too.

Still, I don't want to sound rude, so I smile. _I could go for a little rest..._

"Why don't you go take a nap before dinner? I'll wake you when I get it together," said Latias. I smiled wearily at her, and nodded.

"There's an idea..."

_I'm going to go pass out now. Tell John Doe I said 'hey'. _

(John Doe is the nickname I gave Bianca's husband... mainly because I didn't know the man's first name for the first two weeks I knew him. Real name's Jason).

Bianca smiles and hugs me goodbye, and then she leaves with her kids. After another few moments, I kiss Latias on the cheek and half-drag myself to a spot by the fountain to lay down.

Before I shut my eyes for my nap, I sigh to myself.

I've lost my family of orientation, I've lost my old friends, my home, and my humanity... but in losing these things I gained a family of procreation, new friends, a new home, a new form, and a lover... so I'm going to count everything that happened as a win.

I live in a beautiful garden surrounded by great friends, and when Ash-hole arrives on his annual visit, things become even greater.

If only I could thank the Mercedes that hit me.

_**A la Fin to the max.**_

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><p><strong>829 words. <strong>

**With this, the plot is concluded. All that remains is "The Stuff You May Have Missed". Understand that it's going to take me a little while to re-read the story and pick out the trivia.**

**Kindly go to my profile page and vote for which character you enjoyed the most in this story. Grazie.**


	15. The Stuff You May Have Missed

**The Stuff You May Have Missed**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

-The name of this story is the name of a song by the Louvin Brothers. The original name for this story was "Couldn't Stand The Weather", which is a song by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

-The "Multiverse" Theory is the theory that there are multiple, finite universes.

-When Sly says "Although, presently I can't say that out loud...", he's trying to foreshadow what happened to him.

-When I started this story, I was taking Statistics, and if I got the grade he got, I'd be exempt from the final, which I was. Also, I took an Astronomy course for a while before having to drop it to focus on my other classes.

-When I was in Astronomy, my professor actually _did_ warn us not to 'do it' in the planetarium. He says he "...found two people of opposite sexes 'doing it', [he] waited until things got faster, and once everything was going good, [he] stopped them."

-I really did have to take a planetarium exam like that.

-"Failure is always an option!" is a quote by Adam Savage of _Mythbusters._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

-"..but I've done drugs in the past..." Drugs are bad, m'kay?

-I was looking for a good way for Sly to first react to his new surroundings. I decided that "Oh, dude... what the hell?" was about as good as the initial reaction could get.

-I really do think Lorenzo looks like Mario and the Monopoly Guy mixed together.

-The name "Sly Stevens" is the product of sleep deprivation and half a bottle of Nyquil. The next morning I saw it and wondered what the hell I was thinking.

-Sly mentions the good GPA again because he's not _that_ stupid. Also, he's telling the story to someone.

-I had fun writing Sly's confrontation with the trainer. If I never heard of "battles", that's probably how I'd react.

-"Moneys" is a reference to a recurring joke in Knoxskorner's klaymations.

-Nurse Ratched is the name of the main antagonist in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

-I was watching _Burn Notice_ before I started the TV scene.

-"Mules and Donkeys..." everybody knows mules have a terrific sense of humor. It's a reference to a Brian Regan joke.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

-I saw this movie with my friend, and when Totodile first started making noise, he goes "Look, it's Ryan (Last name here)!" We know a kid that really sounds kind of like that. _My name is Ryan and I'm a potato!_

-"Bianca" is the name of the sword Bartolomeo d'Alviano uses in _Assassin's Creed II._

-In another of my fics entitled "Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels", the year 1205 is the year Ganondorf fell in _Ocarina of Time_.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

-The story of "Jiffy" really happened.

-"The Gopher Wife Hit On Me" is a reference to a dream a friend of mine had. He said he was having dinner with people that had Gopher Heads, and while he was waiting, the Gopher Wife hit on him. He says it was "a f**king scary dream". True story.

-"Heroin Hero" is a reference to a _South Park_ joke... and a real game on that website that starts with an "N" and ends with "ewgrounds".

-"I feel like a one legged man in an ass-kicking convention" is a quote by Phil Harris.

-You should know what _Punk'd_ is.

-A fever as high as 107 needs to be lowered, or it could damage the brain and cause serious complications, and possibly death... which is the worst complication of them all.

-Jack Stein is the name of the narrator of "Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels". He was the back-up guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player for "The Fallen Angels".

-I don't think I could have done better than "Ash-hole" as a nickname.

-When the window opened, I originally planned for Latias to appear again, but I decided against it.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

-I just noticed something: Annie and Oakley. Wasn't there a really sharp gun-totin' woman named Annie Oakley?

-One of you mentioned that what's-her-face (I don't remember who had what) had an Espeon, and not an Umbreon. I even started off saying "Espeon", but since I write this at night mostly, I somehow ended up using "Umbreon". Whoops. For the sake of this story, the Espeon became an Umbreon because I said so. What do you want from me? I'm just a man!

-For a while, I wanted to dance around saying "Ariados" because I didn't know how to spell it, and I couldn't be bothered to look it up. Eventually, I figured it out. That's why you see "big spider" a lot.

-"I've seen dead guys move faster!" Dead people actually _do_ move around sometimes. Some even will moan or groan. When I'm dead, I'm going to have my body re-animated to deliver my own service, and it will be outside the church because I'll burst into flames if I'm inside one.

-"Ben Franklin is turning in his grave..." I _was_ going to tell you why I said that because I feared some may not know what I was talking about, but why fear confusion amongst a handful of illiterates?

-The original title of this chapter was "You're Crushing My Ribcage", but I ultimately decided it wasn't stupid enough.

-A few of the names you see are names I gave my pokémon when I played _Gold_ in a past life. I used 2.0, and if I recall right, I had a pidgeot named "The Slip", and a Geodude named "Stoner".

-Bianca knows that Sly was gambling because she was across from him when he was doing it. I didn't want her to seem totally oblivious.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

-The FNG brings up the "vanishing thumbtack" because the original name for this chapter was "That Vanishing Thumbtack". I changed it to "One Big Degrading Story", but I neglected to remove the original lines.

-S.O.L. stands for "Shit outta luck".

-That thing with the uncle and the shoelaces is true.

-Grandma's story is true.

-Favorite musician is true.

-Spelling Bee is true.

-Physical Confrontation is false.

-Step Brother throwing the hamster is true.

-Toxic She-Devil is false. I just really, _really_ wanted to say "Toxic she-devil" in this story.

-"The Fallen Angels" was a band Gram Parsons played in, and was mentioned several times in "Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels". No, I was never in a band.

-I did have long-winded Valedictorians, but my Dad's graduating class had the smart kid. Mine had a girl that said "I'm sweating balls here" and people passing out from the heat.

-The being hit by the car story is _false_, you idiots.

-Niccolò... think Niccolò Machiavelli in _Assassin's Creed._

-Leonardo... think Leonardo Da Vinci. That's where the name came from.

-Colic is a real disorder that some babies have involving gas or something. It isn't necessarily life-threatening... but it can keep the baby and the parents awake at night. The crying, not the... ripping ass.

-A mega-tsunami is a real thing.

-I _do_ have a reputation for being a cold-hearted soul-less bastard, so that part's true.

-"Big Brother is watching you!" is a reference to George Orwell's 1984.

-I'm particularly proud of the "Have you no common sense/No, why?" back-and-forth.

-"There's room for all God's creatures..." is a reference to a t-shirt that says "PETA: People for the Eating of Tasty Animals". On the back, it reads "There's room for all God's creatures... right next to my mashed potatoes."

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

-The title, "Geneticallyenhanced Superblueberries" originally went without a space, but for some reason Fanfiction doesn't let me do that. The word is omitted and all you get is a period. . See?

-If you're starving and have a leather wallet, you _can_ actually eat it. I hear it actually does taste like beef jerky.

-I like the Kirby reference. Someone had to do it.

-One of you mentioned being reminded of "How I Met Your Mother" with Ted what's-his-name. That's sort of what I was trying to get at. True story.

-I actually _did_ dream the zombie apocalypse and parking ticket story. Not only was I at risk of becoming a flesh-eating monster, but I also had a $30 ticket to pay because I parked funny.

-"Another two seconds, and I would have folded" is a reference to a line I heard in _Two and a Half Men._

-I was in my living room once, and my Mom walked in and said "Hey, are you still here?" I shook my head and said "Nah, I left about ten minutes ago. Here's your sign."

-"Thumbs up for being anti-social!" Let's face it... Sly's kind of a sociopath.

-Notice Sly says "Talk at me" instead of "Talk to me". Like me, he zones out a lot. Just because I say "I understand", it doesn't mean I'm necessarily agreeing with you. Hell, I'm probably not even listening to you. I say it because it's the thing most people enjoy hearing, and it shuts them up.

-The "art" story is a reference to a Brian Regan joke, as is "There's nothing smarter than that technique."

-If you're interested in seeing Dennis get the shit kicked out of him, go to "Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels" and find the chapter entitled "Jack Hearts Dennis". It was fun to write.

-Again, Jack Stein is the narrator in the aforementioned story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

-When the Chinese got involved during the Korean War, they pushed the U.S Army all the way back to the water, to the point where they almost needed emergency exfil. The U.S Army went down each side of Korea during the war, and the Marine Corps went down the middle. The Chinese pushed the Army all the way back. The Marines _did __not__ retreat._ They just kept killing them! A Chinese courier was captured and a file was removed from his pouch that read "Do not engage the men wearing the black leather collars (the Marines). They are criminally insane." I don't know why, but I got to thinking of that when I was writing the Commandos part.

-"Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go asunder" is where John Steinbeck came up with the name for his novel, Of Mice and Men.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

-I didn't use anything note-worthy in this chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

-What's interesting about the speed of light is, anything travelling at such a high speed does not experience time. For example, light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes a little over 2 million years to reach us, but for the light particles, no time passes. A light particle can reach the edge of our observable universe, and if you were that light particle, it would take no time. A photon can be everywhere in the universe at once.

-Water conducts electricity. Once during a thunderstorm, a friend of mine stepped into ankle deep water and held a metal rod above his head, and started singing "This isn't safe but I'm doing it anyway, this isn't safe but I'm doing it anyway, this isn't safe but I'm doing it anyway, because I just don't care..." Don't do that. If you do, you're an idiot.

-I decided on the attempt to stab Ash-hole because I don't buy into the idea that if you lose a battle, that's it. I think that's kind of stupid, actually. I don't give up on my plans for world domination when I lose card games. Just saying.

-When Sly says that Ash-hole "couldn't get to sleep on his own for the next few days", he's implying that Latias got him to sleep.

-"Steel Wing is my second favorite attack..." does that mean that Sly practices using it, or does he just think it looks cool? 50/50 shot at being right.

-One of you mentioned that Latios suddenly had more energy in this chapter. I was trying to play to his fears. He was afraid of his sister dying, and Sly brought up a good point. As we all know, fear can be either a great motivator or a destructive enemy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

-I felt like Latios would be the type that wouldn't let a favor go unrewarded. That, and I really didn't want to write about Sly learning to fly, attack, turn invisible, take on the human guise...

-The "critical period" Sly mentions is a time frame during infancy. During that time, the infant is a "blank slate"- he or she learns motor skills quickly and easily, and it's also easier for young children to learn foreign languages than it is for adults. That's because these children have not yet passed their critical time frames for language learning.

-Jack's sister throwing the hatchet is based on a true story. My uncle locked my aunt in a shed for a few hours, and when he let her out, she chased him around the yard with an axe and proceeded to chuck it at him. My family has some of the best stories.

-Problem-finding is an extension on Piaget's theory of cognitive development. It basically follows Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will. It involves looking for things that can go wrong and providing solutions before-hand. Ex: Putting chairs in the way of a mopped floor so nobody slips on it.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

-"I Feared the Lobotomy" is a reference to Nurse Ratched again. If you got out of line in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ratched would subject you to EST (Electro-shock therapy) or a lobotomy.

-"The White Elephant" is a reference to the phrase "The white elephant in the room". It basically refers to the thing that is on everybody's mind.

-Brock's seriously got some serious sexual issues going on, doesn't he? In hindsight, I should've just nicknamed him "Johnny Bravo".

-Seriously, it's like a shitstorm follows Ash-hole everywhere. You'd think towns would just start banning him.

-I doodle. I don't "draw". I once drew a guy in an electric chair with a lightbulb in his mouth, and one guard has his hand on the lever, and is saying to another, "I'm telling you, it's gonna work!"

-"...because the one I love is here." Seriously? Keep shovelling, Sly.

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

-You can calculate the amount of force between Earth and the Moon: F=M(Earth) x M(Moon)/(Distance)^2xG-constant when G= 6.67x10^-11. It's really not difficult to figure out. Multiply the mass of Earth and the moon, then divide, and then multiply again. Done.

-The "STOP TALKING!" prank is something I saw on Youtube. I think it was called "Stop Talking Douchebaggery" or something. The guy doing it did it at a party and got thrown out. It was something I could see Sly doing.

-Originally, the argument wasn't heated at all. In fact, Latias sort of dropped it right away. I figured that the dream sequence wouldn't be as effective if she wasn't angry at Sly before-hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

-REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. It occurs during (I believe) Delta-wave sleep.

-Think back a little: Remember how I said Bianca is the name of Bartolomeo D'alviano's sword in _Assassin's Creed II?_ Bianca has a son named Bart. Bartolomeo... Bart. Bartolomeo... Bart... get it? No? Nothing?

-Now that I think about it, it really was obvious that Latias was pregnant. I was aiming for it to be debatable, but when I look back, it's too obvious... so I guess she is pregnant. Go figure.

-Now that I think about it, I could've gotten away with naming this chapter "The Mercedes That Hit Me". Damn.

-If you went to the poll and voted for your favorite character, you may or may not have noticed "FNG" next to Sly Stevens' name in the choices. Since he's my newest (and possibly final) OC, he's the "Fucking New Guy". It's a degrading term used in the military _and_ on this OC, because I'm really not such a huge fan of his.

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><p><strong>With that, The Angels Rejoiced Last Night is now HISTORY. Thanks for reading, I appreciate that. Now that I got this out of my head, I can focus on Beneath This Gruff Exterior again. Damn story's not been updating in months.<strong>

**I may or may not make a Christmas one-shot for this story, too. Don't hold your breath, though... I've still got about 11 months to make a decision.**


	16. It Happened One Night: Prologue

**It Happened One Night**

**For Bob**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"I do pushups everyday sometimes. Just sometimes I get lazy for weeks and don't do them but then I do them everyday."<strong>

**-Anonymous**

* * *

><p>Now, I've told you that story so I can tell you this one.<p>

I don't really have shame in regards to much anymore, kids, but... there's one story that I hate telling, and that's this one.

Still, it's probably good if you learn the lesson I ended up learning without actually experiencing what I experienced.

I told you the one about where I came from and how I ended up where I am today. I told you the story of the time I got really depressed over a holiday and what it symbolized to me about my family. I think I told you the one about the wedding cake and cake-with-a-hooker-in-it mixup that got the bride to faint.

If I didn't, remind me to later. That's a good one.

Anyway, I know I said it took me about a year to get adjusted to the way things were now, and that's true. However, it took me a while longer to actually start to enjoy what I'd become.

I don't mean I didn't like being around Latias. I'm just saying, I accepted the change as something that I couldn't really control and I was happy with those around me, but I didn't really stop wondering if I could find a way to go back to being human again until about three years after I turned. I loved flying, my "job," and my abilities, but I also liked having thumbs with some degree of permanence.

I bring that up because, with that acceptance came great stupidity. See, I may look like a legendary, move like a legendary, live like a legendary, and actually be a legendary, but inside, I'm a simpleton.

Deep down, I know I'm going to regret telling you this story. Mario already won't let me live it down, and Bianca always makes me take her for rides because she was the one that ended up freeing me.

So, perhaps it'll be good to reflect on how my friendships improved in the years between my transformation and my rampant idiocy first.

Hey, don't groan. This won't take a minute.

First of all, there's the socialization between Mario and I. We were essentially just allies for a while. That is to say, we didn't like each other, but we didn't hate each other, either. Mario was, for a few weeks at least, still suspicious of me after my transformation. Perhaps he wondered if I was really the best choice Latios could have made, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: I was the only one in the Garden at the time and Latios needed a vessel fast- ten minutes ago fast.

Mario eventually stopped wondering about how trustworthy I was and just accepted me as another guardian. It took me doing a few things around his house for him to finally take a shine to me, and I started to like his company more, too.

Especially after we sat down over a couple of fire flowers and discussed our differences.

Bianca loved me like she loved Latias. She trusted me completely, and I trusted her with my life (I still do, obviously). She's one of my best friends. No, we don't always get along, but... who does?

Yes, Ash-Hole is a great friend to us, having assisted Altomare twice in his lifetime, but... he's quite gullible. Last time he was here, he got followed by two stalkers and a Meowth that were disguised as gondoliers.

That would've been fine, if those three hadn't been pulling these things on him since he was about ten. I ended up scaring them off with a quick steelwing to the gondola and psychic jolt.

Pikachu and I were about as friendly as Brock (I'd eventually re-re-nicknamed him Johnny Bravo) and I were. That is, we were, well, friends. Pikachu, however, doesn't flirt with everything that has two legs and two X chromosomes, though.

Misty and I aren't really friends, and we aren't at odds. She's too short tempered. I can't play tricks on her without backlash, I tried a few times to play matchmaker and set her up with Ash-Hole, but they turned out to be more brother-sister than boyfriend-girlfriend material.

I'm not leaving out Latias. It's already obvious how I feel about her. Remember?

ThebondbetweenalatiosandlatiasisstrongerthanthebondbetweentheEarthandtheMoon.

I've only said it a hundred times.

Bottom line: After about three years, I'd become very happy with my new life. I loved being a guardian. I loved being with Latias. I loved being with Bianca. I loved being in Altomare. If I was feeling down for any reason, I'd sometimes just fly out and look back at the town. How could I do anything other than smile while looking upon such beauty?

Life's been good to me so far, is my point. It didn't feel like anything could go wrong. Call me a dreamer.

Shocking absolutely nobody but me, though, I was in for a rude awakening after I got shot by that tranquilizer.

If nothing else, then promise me you'll take this from the story, at least:

_I AM AN IDIOT._

End of Prologue

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><p><strong>910 words.<strong>

**I didn't really want to do a sequel to this story. Enough people asked, however, so I'll deliver.**

**I apologize if this Prologue seems lacking. I was elsewhere while I wrote it. I got some very bad news, if the top was any indication. After I get some time to myself, I might come back and go over it again.**

**I don't have this idea completely hashed out yet. That is, I know where I'm going with it, but I don't have it outlined completely. I need to finish that. Do not expect updates at the same frequency as ARLN. That was written while I was unemployed still and between semesters. I may be between semesters now, but I'm a film major and I have a job, so both demand attention. I'm expecting this story to be about as long as its predecessor was, give or take a few chapters.**

**I'm going to be working on the script for a short film in a few days. If anyone's interested in seeing it when it's done, let me know. I won't tell you what I did, mind you, but...**


	17. The Wise Words of Mr Frost

**Chapter 1**

**The Wise Words of Mr. Frost**

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><p><strong>"A peaceful man does more good than a learned one."<strong>

**-Pope John XXIII**

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><p>Being a guardian of this city is a surprisingly fun job, even on those quiet days. Yes, sometimes you'll have days where no wrong seems to occur, or at least, no wrong that requires your intervention. On these days, you're just taking a stroll around the city. It's always enjoyable, at least for me.<p>

Having said that, this job is also quite stressful. There are times where you need to save lives. I've pulled people out of burning buildings before, but the firefighters usually get there before I have the chance of doing anything.

I've also done small things for people, of course. In my human guise, I've simply helped people carry items to their houses, I've listened to people vent frustrations with misfortune, I've played tag with some kids before while their parents worked, and I've just walked with some people, so they had someone to be with.

If I sensed something wrong elsewhere, though, I'd have to make sure either Latias could take care of it, or I'd cut the small deed short, which I didn't like to do.

Now, I've told you stories of people who were skeptical of my existence being rescued by me. I don't think I've told you about someone that actually gushed over what I did, though. Well, shy of the thing I did on BLACK Friday, but I don't really count that as gushing so much as...

...alright, it was gushing.

I've saved lives and got heartfelt thanks, sure, but... I've not been gushed over before that night. I'll say it right now, kids: it's not pleasant. I'll smile and laugh and pretend I'm fine with it, but... I'm really not comfortable when someone does that.

It was almost the end of the day, and I was just on my way back to the Garden.

She had to be incredibly lucky. Nobody else was in this alley save for us. Like many in town, it had a long canal running through it.

Well, maybe she wasn't that lucky. Most of the canals average at around six feet deep. This one was twelve-ish.

That entire day, I'd been mentally reading the wise words of Mr. Frost (I read some of his poems to you when you were babies), and when I found her drowning, I immediately wondered if taking the road less travelled was really such a smart idea.

Of course, I was thinking these thoughts while I sprung into action. I was in my human guise, and I hate the feeling of wet clothes (call me shallow), so I hopped onto a raft tied off on a floating dock, paddled my way over to her, and pulled her aboard.

She got onto her knees and started coughing as I tied the boat off at the dock again. At that point, I was about ready to get moving back to the Garden.

Yes, I had every intention of heading back to the Garden, but if I'm asked to wait by the human I just saved, I do so. Perhaps there's more I can do to assist?

"Thank you so much... Seriously. I can't swim, so if you didn't happen to be around these parts... it'd be curtains."

I smiled and nodded my head.

"So, what's your name, friend?" she asked. I shook my head, and she tilted hers. Yes, one of the downsides to my condition is I can't speak human anymore. At least, not with my mouth.

"My name is Sly," I signed to her. She stared blankly at my hand gestures and then looked at my face. A look of understanding crossed hers.

"Oh, I see. You can't speak, can you?"  
>I shook my head, and then, before she could say anything else, or allow the awkward silence to take hold, showed her the trainer's card I had made when I got enough money together, about six weeks after I was changed.<p>

"Sly Stevens? If you don't mind my asking, why'd your parents name you Sly, Sly?"

I blinked, and she mentally smacked herself in the forehead.

"Wow, sorry."

I shook my head with a smile, which is a universal way of saying, "Don't worry about it."

"Alright, so at the risk of sounding even more awkward and ditzy, my name is Susan. Susan Denim. You can call me Sue if you'd like. Most people call me Sue. Call me Sue."

I stared again, and she continued.

"W-well, I mean, with your hands. Y'know, if you're talking to me in sign language, sign "Sue", not... ugh."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I am such a dork... Look, I'm going back to the Pokémon Center to change into something not... soaked. Why don't you tag along? I'll buy you dinner afterwards as my way of saying thank you for both rescuing me and tolerating my stupid."

I again cursed the language barrier between us. She obviously couldn't understand sign language (which stunk), so I resorted to shaking my head back and forth quickly.

"Nonsense! I won't take no for an answer, stranger. You saved my hide from drowning, and it's only fair for me to repay the favor in some way. Now, c'mon. I won't be a minute and then we'll do... say, the Carlito?"

I didn't get to respond in any way. I tried to point with one hand out of the alley in an attempt at getting her to let me go, but she took me by that hand and started walking off with me. She didn't look back, and I just kept pointing in the opposite direction with my free hand.

I really didn't care where we went. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and I wouldn't deny that she had charm, but I was in a relationship, and I was not interested in Sue.

Seriously. I wasn't interested in her. I swear. The entire time we headed for the Center, I kept wondering one thing:

What will Latias think?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,014 words.<strong>

**So, good news and bad news: Good news is, my Grandfather's out of the hospital and in rehabilitation at the moment. The bad news is, the day after I heard he was sick, my entire basement flooded and now I've got over $2,000 in damages.**

**Anyone have over $2,000 I can borrow?**

**The script for the video is coming along nicely, I think. I'm at around seven pages, which is the equivalent of around seven minutes. As for this story, I've still got to work on the outline some more. Yeah, I know, I suck.**

**Next chapter covers Latias killing Sly in a fit of rage, and then the zombies rise, and I win the lottery fifteen times, and shows like ****_The Walking Dead _actually become interesting to me.**

**...you guys like movies? You should watch the Clark Gable movie, _It Happened One Night._ Yeah, it's named just like this story is! I'm going to go to sleep now.**


	18. An Old And Effeminate Heroin Dealer

**Chapter 2**

**An Old And Effeminate Heroin Dealer**

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><p><strong>"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved."<strong>

**-George MacDonald**

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><p>My mother was a stereotypical woman. If we were supposed to go somewhere, be it a wedding, funeral, doctor's appointment, or if we had to catch a flight, she'd spend the better part of the time beforehand getting ready.<p>

We were always late. If she had to be somewhere at, say, four in the afternoon, maybe she'd take a nap beforehand and I'd wake her at 2:30. She'd still be late.

Sue suffered no such curse. She... she was quick. She wanted me to wait outside (for obvious reasons), so I kind of sat in the waiting room for a while. It was the same seat I'd taken when I was waiting to see the nurse on my first day here.

For the record, yes, I do have a nickname for Sue, but it'll spoil the whole story, and Latias made me promise not to use it in front of you.

A shame, yes. It's one of my masterpieces.

Enough about sport. The point is, she was dried off and in a change of clothes very quickly. I'd only just signed "How are you?" to Nurse Ratched when she was finished.

As I said, it'd been three years since my transformation. That being said, I wasn't really finding myself attracted to humans much anymore. However, I still knew what good looks were, and Sue was freakin' gorgeous. Her hair looked like it was brownish when it was wet, but after she'd dried it, it turned out to be a dirty blonde. I know, worlds apart. She had a slender frame and was wearing a skirt, a tank top, and pair of boots.

I'll tell you today that she had crazy eyes, but when she was treating me to that dinner, I didn't notice.

"Hey, you," she said in a way that reminded me of an old and effeminate heroin dealer.

You might be wondering why I didn't just leave when she changed, but again, I didn't like ditching the humans unless there was an emergency. If one wanted to thank me for my assistance and wasn't going to take no for an answer...

"Shall we?" she asked. I nodded, and we were off.

We've all gone to the Carlito for dinner before (Latias has gone once, and she hated every second). Bianca only knows everybody that works there, and for me? There's something about eating there that is refreshing from time to time. I guess it's a way to remininsce about times past for me.

Or maybe I just get sick of eating berries once in a while like any Pokémon, and human food is a good substitute.

I don't remember what I ordered (they make a great mojito), nor do I remember what Sue had, but... it was the Carlito.

"So, thank you again for what you did back there," she said. I smiled.

"I'd like to get to know you a little better, Sly," she said while we waited. She tried to put her hand on mine, so I pulled away. She tilted her head, and I didn't really know what else to do, so I just sort of shook my head a few times.

"Huh? Oh! Are you, uhh..."

She leaned in towards me.

"Are you gay?"

My head shaking speed proceeded past level one all the way to level five, which was the fastest I could shake it without snapping my own neck. I was taken aback. I didn't like her, therefore I must be gay?

Um, not that there's anything wrong with gay. Don't say anything to Ratched. She'll kill me.

She smiled. "Relax, it was a joke! But... are you taken?"

Cease head shaking, cue head nodding.

Sue's smile fell for a moment, but it returned, albeit gently.

"I see. Well, good for you! I hope you both are happy."

I smiled and gave her a nod. I started signing to her, but stopped abruptly, and I think she saw me mentally kick myself.

I was going to ask her about her love life, but how could I speak to her if she couldn't understand this form of sign language? She didn't know I was a Latios, so telepathy is out.

Well, it wasn't out. I suppose, in a sense, it was possible, because she then proceeded to apologize. Apparently she'd just gotten out of a long relationship, so her head wasn't in the right place.

She told me she was only visiting the city, which I kind of figured. She'd have somewhere to stay other than the Pokémon center otherwise, and she was not a trainer. She told me she only had a Trainer's License so she could stay at the Center free of charge, which I still maintain is an awesome deal.

As for the water thing, she chalked falling into the drink down to a rush of dizziness. It was unfortunate on her part, because she apparently can't swim.

After dinner (she insisted on paying, but I slipped the difference into her purse when she was not looking), we shook hands again.

"Hey, thanks again, and thanks for coming out with me. Maybe I'll see you out again!"

I didn't agree to hanging out with her again at that point (mainly because that's not what she asked), but I smiled and gave her a quick nod. Then, we went our seperate ways, and I headed back to the Garden.

I waved to Bianca in passing before I entered. I decided to keep the illusion up for a little longer. No, not because I was longing for my humanity. It's just... when I take that form, I get my favorite coat back. I love that coat.

When I passed the fountain, I found no sign of Latias. I briefly wondered if she was tailing Bianca somewhere... at least, until she charged me full speed in an attempt at knocking me into the water.

She succeeded.

When I poked my head out of the water again (I finally relented and took my true form while I was underwater), I saw her looking down at me, smiling.

"Gotcha," she said. I smiled back, and splashed her.

"Gotcha back."

She giggled, and I got out of the water. I didn't really want to. It was quite refreshing.

"Sorry I'm so late," I said. "I pulled this girl out of one of the canals and she insisted on thanking me. She took me to dinner."

Now, Latias still never ceases to amaze me. See, I remember my old band's drummer had a girlfriend, and he went out to dinner with another girl once, and for that, his girlfriend freaked out, called him a cheater, superglued all of his sheets to his bed and popped all four of his car's tires.

Taught him to never take his sister out on a celebratory dinner.

Having said that, there are certain humans that would feel a way about what I just told her. However, Latias is, as she's been teaching me since I met her, sane. Case in point:

"Oh, cool. Where'd you go?"

"The Carlito."

She cringed. "Didn't you say she wanted to _thank_ you?"

I smiled, and Latias held up an Oran Berry. "So, I guess you're not hungry?"

"No. I happen to enjoy the Carlito."

She smiled. "Okay. Let me eat, and then we'll go to the Museum. Lorenzo wants us to stop by."

I nodded, smiled, and decided to go back into the water.

Unlike Sue, though, I wouldn't need to be rescued.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,269 words.<strong>

***Cue singsong voice* It's my birthday in three days. I'm going to be 22... how terrifying.**

**The script is done, but I still need a shot list and to do some location scouting. **

**I'm going to visit my Grandfather on the fourth, so I won't be working on this story until I get home, which will be Sunday-ish. I mean, I might start a bit more tomorrow after work, or even tonight, but... it probably won't be done until after Sunday. I don't know, maybe I'll get in the zone? Don't hold me to it.**

**The outline for this story is nearly complete, too. I'm looking at around 21-22 chapters with this story, so I sorely underestimated the plot. That's without The Stuff You May Have Missed, mind you.**

**Now, I'd like to propose a moment of silence. In that flood I had a few weeks ago... three of my many Nintendo 64 games perished. ****_Ocarina of Time _was one of them. I'll miss you, childhood... one love. *sob***

**Next chapter covers Sly meditating and we encounter a man. **


	19. A Shiny Objects Latios

**Chapter 3**

**A Shiny Objects Latios**

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><p><strong>"A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down."<strong>

**-Robert Benchley**

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><p>Meditation can be tedious at times, but it's necessary. Many people don't know this, but all psychic types meditate. It keeps their minds strong. If you fail to do so in a while, your psychic abilities will waver and weaken. You will become more susceptible to the attacks of dark types. If you fail to meditate for too long, you can actually lose your psychic abilities.<p>

Likewise, you need to be careful not to spend too _much_ time meditating. There's a balance you hit. If you do it too much, you'll see your powers increase at first, but if you keep over-meditating, you'll end up actually _losing_ power. It's kind of like working out. If you start with the heaviest weight possible, you'll actually do more harm than good.

A Latios and a Latias will both meditate at least once per week, for a minimum of three hours.

Now, Altomare and the people we protect are always our highest priority. Having said that, we never both meditate at the same time. One stays in the garden and does so while the other goes on patrol, and we switch.

It was my turn that next morning to meditate. Like I've told you, it's easiest if you take yourself back to memories you enjoy. The form you take to walk among your memories reflects your mind. When I first transformed and meditated, I wandered through my memories as a human. After around six months passed, I was wandering them as a Latios.

I remember what I took myself back to that day. It was this party I went to when I was very young. I woke up that morning, rocked some Kirby on my first gaming console, the Nintendo 65, went with my Dad to pick up a buddy, and then we went to this party.

I love swimming. Always have. My mother used to tell me that, when I was younger, I'd always want to go out into the water, and just keep going. If it would be over my head or not didn't matter to me. I'd just want to keep going.

Now, the family that hosted this party had a pool, so my buddy and I were (of course) sold. Between that pool and the food table we were keeping company (it looked lonely), it was a great party. Lots of fun.

Reflecting back on these memories is like an out of body experience. You see yourself, but you are not yourself. Nobody knows you're there watching.

_Nobody_ is supposed to be able to see you, much less speak to you. I remember I was smiling warmly at the memory, when...

"What a fine party. Your father is a nice man."

I looked to my left and saw a man. He was... overdressed, to say the least. He had a black three-piece suit on, a mustache, and a black top hat. He had no place in this party, and if he were a guest, he shouldn't be addressing me, much less staring directly at me.

"Hello, Sly Stevens."

I simply stared, wide-eyed. That smile was long gone.

"So, you won't ask? How refreshing."

_Did Mew send you here to bother me? Tell her it's not funny anymore._

"Mew? How cute. No, she did not send me."

_Who did?_

"A deathclaw and a wanderer."

_A what and a who?_

He ignored my question.

"Sly, why did you stay in Altomare?"

_Who are you?_

He looked at me for a moment, and then back at the scene playing out before us. "Answer my question, please."

_I wanted to be with my friends. I wanted to help Latias watch over the people here._

"It was in part to help the people?"

I nodded. The man kept staring out at the party.

"Didn't you tell Bianca once that they make problem solvers in the form of guns now?"

I blinked, and he eyed me again.

"You preserve lives, and yet you preach death. That's very curious, Sly."

I frowned at him.

_Who are you to judge me by my words?_

"That's true. I'm not here to judge you yet. I want to talk to you about trust."

_What is your name?_

"Latios spoke to you about this very topic- the _real_ Latios, mind you."

Now, there are certain monsters out there (and Mew) that like to invade the meditation sessions of psychic Pokémon and create havoc, which is why every psychic type out there is thankful for the little ability to force someone out of the session via a powerful attack.

As I've said, Mew is fond of sending randoms into the meditation sessions of other legendary Pokémon just to screw with them, and Dragon Pulse is an attack that Latias worked hard to teach me. So, I decided to use it.

The man, however, didn't even flinch. He didn't look at me, he didn't take a step back- nothing. He didn't move a muscle.

What was kind of funny was, there was this loud "BOOM!" and a smoke cloud formed. The party memory continued as normal. There's people swimming, drinking, talking, playing baseball, and laughing... and there's a big ol' dragon attacking an overdressed judgmental idiot in the same yard.

...Okay, I guess you had to be there.

However, as I was about to get back to what I was doing, which was enjoying the scenes before my eyes, the smoke cleared and the man was still there, totally unharmed.

"For a Guardian, you sure are quick to anger, Sly."

I whirled back around to the man, baring my teeth and holding my paws close in frustration.

_I don't know who you are, but if you think you can talk to me about trust, and how I have to earn it, you're insane. I gave up my humanity to protect Altomare. I serve its people. I-_

"You make Latias happy. However, that's not what I wanted to talk about. This isn't about whether you can be trusted or not. It's whether you know who _you_ can and can't trust."

My look of anger slowly fell and I was silent, allowing him to continue.

"I know a girl that trusted someone that would betray her. She was, in turn, nearly killed by her enemies- she would have been if she wasn't smart. She lived to the ripe old age of forty-something."

I stared.

"The point is, you should not let your current form and your power go to your head. You are a Celestial, but you're still an untrained babe. You are not invincible. There are many things out there that will do you great harm."

_I know what I'm doing._

"Do you?"

_You tell me to mind who I trust, yet here you are expecting me to trust you. What fool blindly trusts strangers?_

"You do, Sly."

I blinked.

"When you first arrived here, you trusted a Nurse you did not know with your full name. You've trusted the entirety of Altomare that second night you lived here- You slept behind a mental institution. You trusted Latias herself to protect you while you slept the night before you were changed."

He began to slowly walk towards me.

"You've trusted all of Altomare by showing your true form inside the museum on a petty holiday observed by so many businesses. You've listened to the words of that girl you rescued. Even now, Sly... You've trusted me to close the distance between you and I."

He leaned in a little bit.

"You think I don't, but I know you. I know you better than you believe you know yourself."

_What's your name?_

He shook his head so slightly that I wasn't sure I saw him do it.

"Mind who you let close, lest you and I meet again too soon."

He turned away and started walking for the gate.

"I'll give Jack your regards."

_Wait!_

Too late. He was already gone.

I found myself back in the Garden shortly thereafter and concluded that it was a dream. It wasn't the first time I'd ever dozed off while trying to meditate. Latias didn't catch me that time, though, which suits me fine. She is capable of many tricks when it comes to a sleeping target. A dragoness of prey!

Sorry, I'm a shiny objects Latios.

It wasn't even one of those two-parter dreams. I never did find out that guy's name. All I knew was, my meditating wasn't going to perform itself, so with a sigh, I relaxed myself and gave it another go. And why was that?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,436 words.<strong>

**First day of shooting is technically Tuesday, but the first day with most of the crew will be Friday. I'm still in need of two locations, but I'm supposed to get a call from one tomorrow, hopefully. The other I'll have to try to hunt down.**

**I had a great deal of trouble making the chapter name, and even now it's not that good.**

**A Celestial is basically one of the powers behind the predicament Sly is in- in this case, the rebirth into the Pokémon universe. They're Gods and Goddesses.**

**In the next chapter, Sly will probably do something that will advance the plot in some way, shape, or form. Hold onto your seats.**


	20. Another Surprise Dollar

**Chapter 4**

**Another Surprise Dollar**

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><p><strong>"Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself."<strong>

**-Mark Twain**

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><p>I had to go on patrol later that day so Latias could get a chance to meditate. This time, I made sure not to fall asleep or have my session invaded by Mew's familiars.<p>

I'm pretty sure that was all a dream. Mew's familiars usually take the forms of other pokémon. I've never been trolled by one in a human shape before.

I felt flattered at any rate. Latias says Mew only trolls people and Pokémon that she likes.

I was fortunate enough to get some time in, but it wasn't the whole three hours. Still, I didn't feel any worse for wear.

The lack of change in my abilities gave me a reason to not tell Latias that I fell asleep while meditating. Again.

Hey, as far as I was concerned, if her brother ever decided to haunt me again and he found out I fell asleep when I was supposed to meditate... he'd yell at me, not her.

It's called plausible deniability.

Alright, I was more worried about what kind of trick she'd play on me if she found out. It was plausible deniability that protects only me.

"Psst... Sly."

Some may say that plausible deniability suggests lack of control of, well, anything. I agree.

"Sly."

I don't know, what else is there to say about that session? I was recalling a few songs we played as a band. Jack was throwing trash at the back of Dennis' head. I was helping. Suddenly, I was being dripped on. I mean _I _was being dripped on, not the me that was helping Jack harrass Dennis.

When I snapped out of the meditation session and came to in the Garden, Latias was eyeing me with a mischievous smile. Her eyes were glowing blue, which is a common occurance in psychic types using their powers.

What's interesting about water is, in zero gravity, it takes the shape of a bubble. You can't pop it. It only forms smaller bubbles.

It takes a similar form when a certain psychic dragoness uses her power to hold a few gallons above my head. As soon as she stops exercising her influence over it, though?

It comes crashing right down like the public image of Justin Bieber. It was around then that I threw the idea of plausible deniability to the dogs.

Grumbling, I wiped my eyes to see Latias giggling madly.

"You know? I'm starting to like these rinsing sessions. They stopped being annoying a long time ago."

She stopped giggling, but the smile was still there.

"And yet you're angry enough to have acknowledged it."

I sputtered. "That's- That's what I'm, uh, saying! I'm acknowledging that I don't acknowledge it."

She got close to me and put her paws on my chest.  
>"Come on. I can push your buttons and you know it."<p>

"Can not."

"Hey, Sly? You're arguing with a legendary again."

I pouted and she kissed me, at which point the pout vanished.

"Better?" she asked.

"Si, señora."

She smiled, backed away a bit, and shut her eyes to prepare for her own meditation session. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and I was out.

* * *

><p>We've been over this a few times, but my way of thinking has, to some degree, changed.<p>

Back home, if a stranger was being bullied and I was nearby, I'd go about my business. There would be a good chance of my not even noticing. Whenever I heard of bad news within my hometown, I'd be totally indifferent unless it had some effect on my loved ones. In a sense, I was selfish, but all humans tend to live in such apathy.

As I am now, however? Any bullying is unacceptable. If such harrassment is going on between children, I'm gentle. Usually, revealing myself, putting a paw on the shoulder of the victim, and giving the bullies a stern frown is enough to convey my point:

It's time to start playing nice.

Yes, I cleaned it up. The actual point is much more colorful.

If it's going on between adults, I show anger. I won't hurt the bullies, but I will scare them. If they're using their pokémon for the harassment, there is no battle with me. Bullies are cowards.

I'd just finished convincing a few teens to find better ways to entertain themselves, and once they were all running off, I pulled the victim to his feet, handed him an inhaler I saw on the ground (he looked like the type), and brushed him off a little.

As soon as the inhaler fell into his hands, he put it to his lips and I smiled.

"Th- th- thank you. I didn't- I didn't think you really- I... You..."

He gave the inhaler another whirl.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell Oliver at our next D&D gathering!"

He gave a nervous chuckle and a snort.

"That Tac's a real B-word!"

I'm not cleaning up the language. He actually said "B-word."

I gave him one final nod, a chirp, and I vanished on him. Surely he'd be free of harassment for a while. He'd probably be free of women for a while too, but...

I jest. Don't make fun of nerds. You'll probably end up working for one someday.

I hovered nearby until I was sure he wasn't about to have some kind of bad asthma attack that the inhaler wouldn't fix, and then I was off again. I continued in my patrol for around three hours before I had another distraction. I was having a bite to eat on top of the museum (behind a column, so the shade was heavenly). Below me, I could hear a few voices every so often. I didn't want to bother Mario or Bianca, so I sort of didn't tell them I was there.

I heard a few interesting conversations while I was resting. Some guy was talking to his wife about his marriage, and how stable it was, and why, therefore, it couldn't become an open marriage. Then, there was a guy talking in hushed whispers with someone about how he played catch with Latias, which I don't doubt happened. Another guy was reporting nothing unusual on an earpiece- he was one of Altomare's CSS Agents. Finally, there was some guy trying out some terrible pick-up lines on some unfortunate gal.

"Did you feel that?" he asked.

"Huh? Feel what?"

"That tremor... My God... I think I... no. You really didn't feel that?"

"No, I'm really extra sure I didn't."

Around then, I started listening a little more closely. That girl's voice was familiar...

"Don't mess with me- Woah! There it is again! That tears it."

"Huh?"

"Look, if you're really sure I'm not feeling a tremor, then there's only one more logical explanation."

"I'm confused."

"It's not an earthquake. It's you. You're a ten on the RICK-ter scale!"

At that point, I cloaked myself again and decided to check and make sure that guy was not about to get himself hurt.

When I was overhead, I saw the scene. First of all, the guy was wearing this weasel-faced smile. Second of all, he was trying to lay the moves on her.

Sue.

"So, I take it your name is Rick?" she asked. He looked surprised.

"How'd you know that?"

"I'm a great and powerful psychic."

"Really? How about you give me a reading back at my place?"

"I'm sensing something right now, actually. You're going to be eating a frozen dinner alone tonight. Again."

"Not if you come back to my place."

She smiled. "How about this? You go back to your place. I'll go back to mine."

He reached a hand out to her and opened his mouth to say something.

"Keep your hands away from me, or I'll plant you in the ground," said Sue. At that point, I found a corner to hide in and I took my human guise.

I rounded the corner half expecting the CSS Agent to be dragging one of them away. Instead, the moment Sue saw me, her eyes lit up and she smiled.

"Hey! Hey, sweetie! Come here."

She practically skipped up to me, hugged me, and rested her head on my chest. She muttered, "Get me out of this, please."

The man was looking at us both, and that smile of his was long gone.

"This is my, uh, boyfriend, Mister I'm-Not-Going-To-Sleep-With-You."

"My name's Rick."

"Bye, now!"

With that, she wrapped her arm in mine and led me down a random road while muttering "Thank you" repeatedly.

When we turned a corner, she shot a look over her shoulder to make sure the guy wasn't following (he wasn't).

"That's twice you've saved me. What are you, a guardian angel?"

I smiled. She had no idea.

"Hey, are you doing anything? You want to hang out for a bit?"

I shook my head. She was a real nice girl, but I still had a job to do.

"Oh, you're busy today?"

I nodded.

"Okay, well... what about tomorrow? I'm on an extended vacation, you see. I've already seen the museum too many times and I'm here alone, so now I'm trying to distract myself."

I nodded again. Tomorrow was a day off for me, so why not?

"Great! Meet me at my room in the Center tomorrow at around, say, noon? You remember my room number, right? It's... It's..."

She trailed off, and a look of contemplation washed over her face.

"Umm..."

She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her room key.

"Room 4A."

I smiled again and she blushed slightly.

"Sorry. Ditzy, remember? I'll see you tomorrow?"

I nodded. She went to put the key back in her pocket.

"Cool. Hey, I think I found a dollar..."

With that, she turned and walked off while searching her other pocket, probably for another surpise dollar. I shook my head and found a place to take my true form to resume patrol.

Presently, I know exactly why I kept finding myself to be so comfortable around her. At the time, however, I was chalking it down to us both being bumblers. When I was in rehab, I took a self-help course called the College of Me. They have the same course running in a few prisons, too. They basically told us that we were all bumblers and in order to help ourselves, we must stop bumbling.

However, if being a bumbler meant meeting cool people like her, what was the problem?

By the time I'm done with this story, I'll have proved the College of Me right.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,802 words.<strong>

**I suck at math. I miscounted how many chapters I had. If I didn't catch it, we would've gone from Chapter 3 to Chapter 5 here. There's actually around 20-21 chapters in this story. Not 22 or 23 or 86 or however many I may have said.**

**If you're still wondering who the Strange Man from last chapter is, he's the same guy from a few other stories I have, and _Red Dead Redemption._ He can be whoever you want him to be.**

**Day 1 of shooting is done. Day 2 is Saturday. Day 3, which should be our last day, is TBD, but it'll be the longest day of shooting we have.**

**Next chapter covers Sly and Sue hanging out. I think, at least. Not dead sure.**


	21. Altomare's Very Own Chuck Norris

**Chapter 5**

**Altomare's Very Own Chuck Norris**

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><p><strong>"Tell all the truth, but tell it slant-<strong>

**Success in circuit lies**

**Too bright for our infirm Delight**

**The Truth's superb surprise**

**As Lightning to the Children eased**

**With explanation kind**

**The Truth must dazzle gradually**

**Or every man be blind-"**

**-Emily Dickinson (1263)**

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><p>I love my off days.<p>

Don't get me wrong, being a guardian of this city is an incredible experience, but it's, in spite of all outward appearances, a job. What is the one thing that everyone holding a job has in common?

The love of off days.

Latias adores hers, too. Keep in mind, she did this job alone for nine years, which meant seven days a week, no less than twelve hours per day. The only time she'd have off is if Mario or Bianca offered to patrol for her, and even then, she'd keep an ear to the ground in case trouble brewed that they couldn't handle.

Well, if trouble brewed that Mario couldn't handle. Bianca was able to drop four guys in hand to hand combat when they dared to try and burglarize her home- the woman has two black belts. She's Altomare's very own Chuck Norris.

Sorry, the point is, everybody needs a break once in a while.

It was a sunny morning, albeit crisp. Dew was still clinging to the leaves and grass- the leaves of grass. Pidgeys were singing their morning tunes and a cool breeze was blowing. I remember we sat beneath the shade of some trees to eat our breakfast.

"So," began Latias.

"So," I echoed.

She picked up a berry and started nibbling at it. "You know my plans for the day. What are yours, my dear?"

I smiled. "I'm supposed to see that girl again."

"Bianca?"

"Latias, that's rude."

She smiled. "Which girl?"

"Sue. That girl I saved a few days ago. I bumped into her again and she wanted to hang out. She's only in town for a couple more days."

Latias' smile slowly vanished, and she cleared her throat.

"Sly, you're not planning on showing her..."

I shook my head. "Don't worry. I wouldn't be so irresponsible as to show this place to her."

"Or your true form?"

"Do I look like an idiot?" I asked with a smile.

"Well, no, but... I've known you for around three years now and looks can be deceiving."

I chuckled, and she nudged a berry towards me.

"Don't worry, I won't make such stupid decisions."

To this day, Latias likes to remind me that I said those words.

I started munching on the berry she offered me and between us, the rest were gone in about ten minutes.

Latias left the garden shortly after finishing breakfast. I stuck around for a bit and weeded what needed to be weeded. We keep on top of garden work, so the weeding didn't take me half an hour to finish.

Once that was all done, I sat on the swing that Latias used to push Bianca on when she was little. The sun was starting its climb into the sky and the heat was slowly rising. I killed more time in the water. It started out as my way of washing off any dirt I'd accumulated while weeding, and it ended up becoming me swimming around and having a thoroughly good time.

While I swam, I was thinking about how I ended up here- Mew calls what I experienced a "Rebirth," but she won't go further into it because she says I'm not old enough. If I pry, she says it takes a long time to explain, and if I was so over it, why didn't I just take her at her word and not ask about it until I got older.

I stopped bugging her about it after I annoyed her enough that she turned me into a Nidoqueen for a night. Oh, it made her laugh. It made Latias laugh. It made Bianca laugh. It scarred me. I was in a fetal position for that entire night and after she changed me back, I was still in the fetal position for the better part of the next day.

I bring up the Rebirth because I, for a while, started to think that this world was actually Heaven, and the people here were all here long enough that they didn't remember where they originally came from, but one of the few straight answers I got from Mew on this topic is I was given a second chance here, but it's not Heaven (or as she calls it, the Celestial Plain).

I figured that one out after I spent around twelve hours as a poison/ground type, never mind a _female_ one.

I sometimes wondered if I was the only one to get a second chance here. She told me there are so many universes, that even power towers fail to represent the number. Thus, there are certain universes that are devoid of folks that get rebirths, because there are more of them than people who have died before their times.

I found out later that I wasn't the only one here that received the second chance. More on that later, though.

I left at 11. The trip wouldn't have taken me a minute if I flew, but I felt like walking.

My decision to walk brings me to the topic of Altomare's police force. Known as the CSS, or Central Security Service, they boast a 99% success rate, a maximum security holding facility, and I am fairly certain they have a few dark holes/secret prisons around as well. The only time they really announce their presence is during bad crimes, like robberies, hostage situations, or possible acts of terrorism. After Latios died, it was normal to see CSS Agents walking down the roads not with Pokémon partners, but heavy weapons. After those two crooks were captured again, it was the same deal, except the Coast Guard got involved.

When they have to announce their presence like that, they hide their faces behind ski masks so they aren't recognized in other parts of the city. If one CSS Agent needs to act to stop, say, a fight, he or she is reassigned to patrol another part of the city immediately afterwards to lessen the chances of them being made. There's something about how they carry themselves, though- If you went to a bar where everyone is blitzed, the guy that can still string together syllables and walk a straight line is the cop. Easy.

If you're in town square, good luck. You have to be super observant to know who is and is not a cop in most locations around town. You know, if you're a human. Pokémon, specifically legendary ones, have different ways of figuring it out.

Why did I bring up the police? I hadn't walked more than a mile before someone started following me. He put a hand to an earpiece and muttered, "I may have eyes on Latios."

Now, I was trained by Latias not to react in any way if I am walking among the humans while I'm disguised, and someone somehow knows what I am. In that situation, the trick is to lie, lie, lie. You don't react until someone puts a hand on your shoulder- which that someone did.

He spun me around by the shoulder and I put on my best confused look.

"Uh, negative. POI is not Latios."

He patted my shoulder and nodded once.

"Sorry about that. Keep moving."

At that point, my faux confused look had turned into a real one. I kept walking as normally as I could, but that freaked me out. I kept expecting to turn a corner and run into the entire police force, which... I'd done nothing wrong to the city. Maybe they wanted to thank me, or maybe they needed help or something... but that didn't change the fact that the police knew who I was at the least. Did they know where the garden was? Did they know Latias? Mario? Bianca?

I found an especially dark corner somewhere and took my true form, and then cloaked, and I followed that CSS Agent a little longer- don't knock my tracking skills.

It wasn't five minutes until I figured out that he wasn't calling me out. They were apparently looking for a certain mister slippery that they code named Latios.

That realization was both welcome and a little insulting.

I kept watching my back until I got to the Center at any rate. When I saw her, I felt a little more at ease. She smiled at me.

"Hey, you."

I returned her smile and I gave her a nod. We didn't stick around the Center for very long.

We simply walked and talked for a while. Well, she talked.

Unfortunately, it was a beautiful day out. Why unfortunately? It meant there were many trainers out.

Sometimes I wish I could have a battle, but... I reveal my true form to humans only on certain occasions. Sure, there's the thing I do on Big Friday, and there's the reveal I'll do if I think it'll help someone that's having some kind of emotional or physical crisis. Usually, I can intervene without being visible. Latias and I are so quiet and our human friends so trustworthy that there are certain folks in Altomare that do not believe we exist. They think the Latios that appears on Big Friday is either imported, or a machine.

Simply put, I like battling, but I don't usually get a chance to do so. That's not to say that I hope for trouble to brew. I just mean that part of me enjoys the rare chance at battling I _do_ get. I guess that's the Pokémon in me.

It is probably more appropriate to say she was trying to talk to me. It was difficult when she had to say "I'm not a trainer" every three steps, and I found myself doing the same in my own way- holding up my jacket to show off all zero of the pokéballs on my belt, followed by a shrug of my shoulders.

Now, I've been told by Ash-hole that defeating trainers and receiving defeats by trainers can be excellent feelings. I find that the look on a trainer's face when you turn down a battle is just as good. It's _priceless._

We sat down in the square on the same bench I woke up on when I first arrived here.

"If my parents knew I was on vacation right now, they'd kill me."

I looked at her. She smiled.

"I guess you could say that they're old fashioned. If I'm not pulling weeds or plowing a field, I'm slacking off. They think I'm here to pick up supplies. Too many pests go through them at home, you know?"

I nodded. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"Ooh! I remember now!"

She started fumbling through her pocketbook and then handed me a pen and paper before beaming at me.

"See? I'm not a clumsy mess all the time! Now we can both talk."

I smiled. She really was a smart girl. Perhaps it would be okay to...

GOOD IDEA, SUE.

"So, do you have a job?"

I AM SELF EMPLOYED.

"Cool! What kind of jobs do you do?"

I smirked.

YOU A COP?

"Cute."

She gasped. "Are you!?"

IN A WAY.

She read the sentence, and before she could speak again, I wrote something else.

IF NOT HERE, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

"Oh, little old me? I'm from an archipelago in the north. They're called the Seven Sisters."

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THEM.

"Most of my fellow islanders take great pains not to be heard of."

I nodded, and we were silent for a moment.

"Hey, Sly? What do you know of the Guardians of Altomare?"

I blinked.

THEY ARE LEGENDARY POKÈMON THAT WATCH OVER THE ENTIRE TOWN. THE MALE IS A LATIOS, THE FEMALE IS A LATIAS. VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY MET THE GUARDIANS.

"I heard that one of them visits the museum on Big Friday."

I THINK THAT ONE IS A MACHINE OR AN IMPORTED LATIOS, NOT THE ACTUAL GUARDIAN.

"Ah, you might be right. What was all this I heard about Latios being gone for 9 years?"

LATIOS PASSED AWAY 12 YEARS AGO. HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR ALTOMARE. IT WAS ONLY LATIAS FOR 9 YEARS AFTER THAT. THE LATIOS WATCHING OVER ALTOMARE NOW IS A DIFFERENT ONE.

"I see," she muttered. Before I could write anything else, we took note of someone standing above us.

Latias, but she was in Bianca's form.

"Hello, can I help you? Wait, do I know you from somewhere?"

Latias smiled.

_So, this is the mystery girl._

I nodded, and stood up.

"Wait, I remember! You were my tour guide at the museum. Bianca, right?"

Latias shook her head. I started scribbling away in the pad of paper again.

THIS IS TIA. SHE IS BIANCA'S TWIN SISTER.

We hugged, and I kissed her on the cheek.

SHE'S ALSO MY GIRLFRIEND.

Sue stood up, and offered a hand for Latias to shake.

"Hey, it's good to meet you. I'm Sue."

Latias smiled.

SHE CAN NOT SPEAK, EITHER.

Sue blinked. "Wow, what are the odds?"

ROUGHLY TWO IN HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE RESIDE HERE IN ALTOMARE.

Latias didn't stay with us for very long. She wanted to get back to her patrol. We were walking again when she gave me a message.

_Sly, I'd be careful if I were you. She seems like a really nice girl, but something about her isn't sitting right with me._

I frowned while Sue was jaw jacking away.

_I appreciate the concern, but I do know her a bit better. She's okay. _

_Yes, you know her better than me, but Sly... I must have eighty years on you. Just be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt._

_I'll be extra careful._

To this day, Latias likes to remind me that I also said those words. At the time, however, I could feel her smile.

_Good, that's what I like to hear. Now, enjoy yourself!_

"...and that's the story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down."

Now, with exceptional puppy dog eyes, I managed to get her to tell me the story again, because I was not listening the first time (obviously). Apparently she got into one little fight and her Mom got scared, and so began the very short-lived era of the first nickname I gave Sue Denim. In my mind (very briefly, I cannot stress this enough), she was Will Smith.

Oh, were you expecting me to slip in that absolute masterpiece that is her second nickname? Sorry. Latias will kill me.

We hung out for the rest of that day, talking about ourselves, Altomare, and the Guardians. Come to think of it, we were doing a lot of talking about the Guardians. At the time, however, I was so sure she was a good girl. There was a part of me that wanted to show her my true form, but another part resisted. However, I certainly wouldn't have freaked out if she were to have seen me for who I really was by mistake.

I really didn't understand why Latias felt so wary of Sue at the time. I had my human friends, but I met them all through Latias or Bianca. For the first six months of my new life as a Guardian, I was forbidden from sharing the secrets of the Garden or who I really was with any humans by Mario, who, ironically, is a human. A human that carries a hammer around and throws giant turtles into bombs, but a human nonetheless.

When I finally earned enough of that man's trust to befriend some of the humans I served, I didn't really focus on it. My job, my mate, and my family were the most important things to me. Besides that, reading people is an acquired skill. I was always afraid that I'd bring the wrong person to the Garden.

I may not have brought her to the Garden, but if I could go back, I'd keep myself from meeting Sue. If I could, though, we wouldn't have a story, would we?

My job was to protect Altomare. For three years, I did a fine job of it.

I suppose I was quite lucky, and I would remain quite lucky for about another twenty four hours. It wasn't until I tried to help someone out with something that the trouble really started, and once it did, it just sort of snowballed into a nightmare.

So, here's that story.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,879 words. I am fully aware that this was a strange chapter. When have you read something of mine that wasn't strange or esoteric?<strong>

**Tomorrow, hopefully, is our last day of shooting.**

**I decided to play a little Trouble in Terrorist Town earlier, so I joined this server that had "FRIENDLY PLAYERS" in the name. I was a Traitor, and I didn't get to do anything before I was RDM'd- less than 30 seconds into the round, no less. Along with about six other people. So, the RDMer gets banned, and I get spammed by a bunch of Innocent rounds, and RDM'd again. There was also a player who I am convinced was a tiny child that was using the N-word like there was no tomorrow. Then my computer crashed.**

**Moral of the story: If you find yourself playing a Steam game like Trouble in Terrorist Town, don't join servers with the words "FRIENDLY PLAYERS" in the names. I'm still almost certain that that server was created somewhere in Assbackwardsistan.**

**If you're unfamiliar with Trouble in Terrorist Town, go on Youtube and search "Tendovvi." **

**Next chapter covers Sly getting into trouble.**


	22. A CD Signed by Phil Collins

**Chapter 6**

**A CD Signed by Phil Collins**

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><p><strong>"A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise."<strong>

**-Niccolò Machiavelli**

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><p>Most Legendary Pokémon love the humans. Mew, especially.<p>

That does not mean that they won't teach certain humans a lesson. Mew will turn certain people into pokémon if they irritate her too much, or if she thinks that they might make more of their lives in such a state. However, I can count these stories on one paw. The few instances of her turning people into different shapes lead to a rumor that, if she sees you, she'll turn you into something. There are humans that are terrified of her.

Really, if Mew spots you, she'll more likely mess around with you a little bit, or try to cheer you up if you're having some kind of crisis. Other times, she'll shy away. One thing she'll never do, however, is transform a good human that fears transformation.

The rule for the most powerful Celestials is to keep your intervening to a minimum. Mew is among the few that can alter the very laws of physics if she wanted to. All it would take is one little alteration to make the entire universe uninhabitable. Those with that kind of strength are given the title of Okami.

I'll be getting into the Celestials later. The point is, most Legendaries love humans. Some of them, like Arceus, firmly believe in tough love, mind you, but the actions of one do not always reflect on the actions of others.

Where someone like Arceus might have you pick yourself up by the bootstraps, a little old Latios like me will help you out if you're being mugged and the police aren't there. That rule about the most powerful Celestials does not apply to me since, even with the makeover Latios gave me, I'm among the weakest.

So, this little old Latios was helping some poor guy maintain his wallet, though to be fair, I could've probably just sicced Bianca on the mugger. Remember? Four burglars?

Now, when I saw the altercation, the mugger was holding the mug-ee at knife point. What the mug-ee saw was different. At first, the attacker had a firm grip on the knife. All of a sudden, however, the knife flew out of his hand, courtesy of telekinesis.

Also, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I almost sent that knife into orbit. It was a good throw.

"What the-"

He didn't get to say anything else before I became visible. I got between him and his victim, and glared as the would-be mugger took a few steps back. He didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to try to defeat me.

He threw a Poké Ball, which contained an Umbreon. When it shook off its disorientation, it eyed me, and jolted.

"Eep! Hi, Latios. Um, this isn't personal, okay?"

I shook my head. "No, no. Don't worry about it. It's on him, not you."

The Umbreon smiled.

"Espeon, bite the Latios!"

For the record, yes. He apparently nicknamed his Umbreon... Espeon. For the sake of the story, and the fact that it made me feel reminiscent of something, I'll call it Espeon.

I dodged out of the way of its bite. Dark types have a corruptive tendency for the vulnerable minds of psychic types. If I let it get the better of me, I could actually stand to lose my powers, or even my life. I had to be careful to avoid using any psychic-based powers on the Espeon, as well. Any potential opening to my mind could cripple me.

Dragon type moves are fine, though. The first thing I did was cloak myself again, and then I gave the Espeon a nice dose of Dragon Breath. When it comes to helping the humans, I wasn't trained by Latias to fight fair. I was trained to win.

I also got out of the way again before it could retaliate, or so I thought.

"Espeon, try Swift."

At those words, I took to the ground and blocked my face and neck with my paws. Swift is the creation of small stars by the fusion of Hydrogen in the atmosphere with Helium and Carbon. These little stars are actually shaped like 5-pointed stars, and they're made of energy, but can actually cut you- that's the Carbon in them. If someone calls Swift on you, it may not critically injure you (that's not to say it can't), but it will hit you. Swift never misses. Because of the unstable nature of the stars, they collapse out of existence back into atoms after a few seconds.

The attack did not do too much damage to me (I had a few catscratches on my paws), but it distracted me enough that Espeon was able to finally clamp down on me with its teeth.

Instantly, I felt its corrosive influence trying to invade my mind, but being a Legendary, I wouldn't be downed by one hit. I started to roll over onto the poor creature, which startled it enough that it let go and jumped away, at which point I tried another move- Dragon Claw.

I would've won that fight just fine on my own, but it was around then that she showed up to lend a hand.

"Cyndaquil, Ember."

I looked over my shoulder at the girl.

"Sue?" I chirped. She didn't acknowledge me (she didn't _understand_ me). The mugger was too stunned that someone else was engaging the battle to make a retaliatory command, and Espeon took the Ember with a yelp. That yelp was enough to get him to shake off the surprise.

"Espeon, bite the Cyndaquil."

Sue didn't make a command at first. She waited for Espeon to open its mouth, and then...

"Ember again."

The attack sent Espeon tumbling back. A few of the little flames caught it in its mouth. As it shook its head back and forth repeatedly, the Cyndaquil followed through by scratching it with its little claws. I finished the battle with a scratch of my own- Dragon Claw again.

Something was bothering me, though. As I watched the Espeon lose consciousness, panting, I recalled Sue telling me that she was not a trainer.

...so why did she have a Cyndaquil? Was he a pet? If so, why did she show actual skill in battling?

The mugger called for his Espeon back and I could hear footsteps coming towards us, but still at a distance- it was an officer.

"You look tired, Sly."

She wrapped an arm around me, as if to embrace me. I looked up at Sue before tilting my head. How did she-

I felt a sharp pain in my neck, and almost instantly, I felt consciousness slipping away. The last thing I saw before my eyes shut was the syringe in her hand.

"What would you say to a nice, long rest?" she asked.

Now, that's all I remember of the next few hours. I filled in the blanks later after hearing what the mugging victim saw.

First of all, we've established that Sue knocked me out with a cocktail of barbiturates. She was moving quickly after that.

"Cyndaquil, keep an eye on these guys. If they move, hurt them," she said. The Cyndaquil did as was asked of it, and Sue took an empty Poké Ball to my still form.

"Hey, drop it! Let me see your hands!"

She looked over her shoulder as I entered the ball. Again, because I was not conscious for this part, I could not resist. I was off in la-la land having a CD signed by Phil Collins.

Needless to say, the ball locked long before I could make an attempt at breaking free, which, as I understand, is very possible to do. Even the strongest ball in existence, the Master Ball, can be broken free of if you're Mew or Arceus, but I digress.

The CSS Agent that was originally there to apprehend the mugger was pulling something out of his coat pocket. According to the victim, it was a handgun.

"Cyndaquil, smoke screen. Hurry."

"Hands, now!"

He couldn't get a shot before the smoke screen obscured my kidnapper from his vision. Sue used the smoke to escape further down the alleyways.

The CSS Agent ran into the alley after a little of the smoke dispersed (he probably didn't know if she had a weapon and was waiting), while reporting the occurance on his earpiece. The mugger didn't run away in the confusion. He had enough sense to not anger someone that turned out to be packing.

Unfortunately, by the time the Agent was able to enter the alley, Sue and I were already long gone.

"You could've stopped her," snapped the CSS Agent at the victim while he cuffed the mugger. He glared at the man.

"You could've _stopped_ her, and you didn't."

Someone asked him something on his earpiece.

"Yes. The victim was Latios."

He glared at the victim again with pure malice, but it softened, and he sighed.

Talking about what could've been done was not going to change anything. I was already taken.

There seemed to be a pattern developing, huh?

End of Chapter

**.**

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><p><strong>1,587 words.<strong>

**That little dot below "End of Chapter" was the only way I was able to keep this horizontal rule, but since FF works so well, it wouldn't appear otherwise.**

**The film is more or less complete. I need to get some music, see if I can work with the sound a little bit more, and fix a few problems with the edit. After that, all done. Then I get to work on the next one, which will be a one-day shoot, and probably shorter.**

**Next chapter covers Y. Y SUE? Y U DO DIS?**


	23. That Asthmatic Television Set

**Chapter 7**

**That Asthmatic Television Set**

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><p><strong>"Every lie contains truth, and every truth contains a lie."<strong>

**-Aki Shimizu**

* * *

><p>My head was hurting when I woke up, and the side of my neck that I was injected by that drug with hurt if I moved the wrong way.<p>

After I woke up, I couldn't focus my eyes on anything, and my mind was still under the effects of the drug, at least for a few more moments.

I was terrified. I thought that Sue was another con sent by Team Rocket (Ash-hole filled my mind with many stories of that group of crooks. They failed in so many criminal activities that I took to calling them Team Useless), and that I was powering the defense mechanism. Would I make the same sacrifice as Latios? Was this going to become a thing?

The answer was no. I was not powering the DMA. I was not powering it in any way. I wasn't going to sacrifice myself today. Absolutely not. No way, Jose.

Sorry.

I was placed in a cage, which was a fact that became more apparent to me as my mind cleared. I wasn't quite sure where I was, but there was very little light coming into the building. I could see a window that was quite firmly closed, and outside I could see a billboard advertising a place called "North Street Butchers." The light shining on the billboard was orange, which meant it was either dawn or dusk, if you aren't following along.

"Oh, you're up."

I picked my head up off the cold floor of the cage and looked towards the source of the voice, which hurt my neck. It was an Umbreon. Boy, I'd been seeing no shortage of them.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice still a little groggy. "Where am I?"

"Stay your tongue, devil. At least, unless she gives you leave to use it."

"What do you mean?"

It turned its head and eyed me like I was stupid. "You really don't follow instructions well, do you?"

Before I could respond, lights in the room with me flashed on, and I heard a door open as I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. When I opened them again, I saw her.

"Well, look at you! You're finally up. I was beginning to worry," she said.

I did not respond with anything other than a glare. Since the cat was out of the bag, I decided to try telepathy with her, but I couldn't establish the connection. The Umbreon just outside my cage was on its feet in a second and eyeing me. Sue stuck a finger up (not the one you're thinking of) and chuckled softly.

"You know, where I'm from, there's a legend, but I'm sure you know all about it. It says that the Devil, that is, the fallen angel Satan, can only enter your home if you invite him in. So, if he were to come to my door, all I'd have to do to prevent his interfering with my life would be to shut it on his face."

She knelt down and squinted her eyes at me.

"The same logic applies to you. You can't use your telepathy on someone that is not willing," she said. My gaze softened. She was right.

There was a few moments of silence, and she continued.

"I'm going to allow you to talk to me, but I just thought I'd remind you that you're not all powerful. Wasn't that good of me?"

As soon as I could, I reacted.

_Sue, why are you doing this? How?_

She reached into a pocket and pulled some grass from it. I felt tickled just looking at it, as if it were the most calming, amusing grass in the whole wide world.

"You know, everyone sings the praises of the guardians. 'Latias and Latios, the protectors of Altomare! They serve us from the shadows, and they love us so!' Really, though. It's pathetic how easy it was to trick you. One little pocket full of dragon nip, and you're like putty in my hands."

I groaned. See, dragon nip is a kind of herb that grows wild on the mainland and is imported here in bulk. It's great to cook with if you're a human. If you're a dragon type, it's like a drug. It'll make any dragon lose its better judgement. If Latias hung around with Sue for longer than a few minutes, she might've been its victim, too. It's called being nipped.

A dragon that's nipped is the equivalent of a sitting duck. It's overly trusting, lets its guard down, is always happy... it's typically used by trainers that catch a dragon type that needs to be tamed quickly. Sue must've been carrying it whenever we hung out to get closer to me, but why?

_Why are you doing this to me?_

"Because I know what you are, and your kind is the reason I'm here in the first place."

I blinked.

_My kind? Were you wronged by a Latios in the past?_

She kicked at my cage violently and I jolted.

"I mean dragons. You devils... you... you did this to me..."

With that, she actually removed her shirt and showed me her chest, and I cringed at the markings I saw. There was a huge scar between her breasts that suggested a non-survivable injury, and so many more scars on her stomach that lead me to the realization.

_You're... You're part of the rebirth._

"Yes! Pin the gold medal upon your chest, you got it! We were in the middle of defending ourselves against another raid, and I happened to be near a wooden pillar. That thing... the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself- it fired at that pillar, blew it to pieces, and guess where eighty-three of those pieces went?"

She gestured to her many scars, kicked the cage again, and screamed. I was silently eyeing her.

"I was dead before I hit the ground," she grumbled. "I thought I'd find myself in Valhalla... but the so-called Gods thought that it would be nice to toy with me."

She put her shirt back on.

"So, instead of waking up in my heaven or not waking up at all, where do I find myself but some bewitched reality that's ruled by- you guessed it, _DRAGONS!_"

She overturned a desk in her rage.

"Everybody goes on about how all-loving the Gods are... so why was I sent here? Well, I have a theory. Umbreon, Dark Pulse."

The pain was instant and it put my then largely recovered mind in disarray. I cried out, hoping for the pain to end and for someone to hear me... but I guess she already thought of that.

"Yes! Scream all you want, Latios. These walls are soundproof."

The attack wore off, and I was breathing heavily as my head pounded.

"You did this. Maybe you had noble intentions. Maybe you wanted me to see that not all dragons are marauding beasts, and I almost gave you a pass. I mean, everybody calling you and Latias the Guardians of Altomare must've meant you were great!"

She laughed bitterly.

"I wanted to meet you myself, to tell you how happy I was to know that you aren't a killing machine. That was until I did more research. They say Latios died twelve years ago, but here you are. Want to know what I think?"

I opened my eyes again and looked up at her.

"I think you faked your death, and you left poor Latias to watch over this island by herself for nine long, lonely years. Now you're back... and Latias is just too good to punish you for your leave."

Sue held up a Poké Ball, and I would've paled if I could have.

"So, I will."

_Sue, you can't do this. Do not capture me. Just let me go, you've got it all wrong._

She laughed bitterly. "You still think my name is Sue? Really? Think about the name Sue Denim a little harder. By all means, though. Keep calling me Sue. As for capturing you, it's already been done. You belong to me now."

I was speechless. She tossed the ball up and down in one hand.

"Now, don't you worry. As soon as I've taught you to be a loyal guardian, I'll release you. I promise. I know my word doesn't mean much to you, but you'll have to trust that I will..."

I know I said I gave her a new nickname that I still can not share with you, and yes, she betrayed me. I do not hate her for it, though, and nobody that knows the story thinks I should.

Shortly after I established the telepathic link with her, I took notice of something in her mind. I could sense the faint echoes of some kind of severe nervous breakdown. It didn't take a genius to figure out that her rebirth lead to a collapse.

If you're really listening along, you might take note of a few things wrong with Sue's theories and her ideas in the future. I chalk the spotty logic down to delusional thought. She was sick, is my point. This wasn't a power play. She actually believed that she was helping Altomare.

"...are you even listening to me?"

Before I could respond, I felt the corrosive dark type move eating away at my mind again. I struggled hard to keep from crying out again.

"Lesson one: You listen when you are spoken to."

_Wait one moment, please. Sue, you've got to let me make something clear: I am _not_ the Latios that once protected this island. The story is true. He died twelve years ago. He sacrificed himself. I, uhh, wandered my way onto the island, decided I liked it here, and so I took up part of Latias' burden._

She was silently glaring at me. The Umbreon watched too, but did not repeat its attack.

_Think about it. Latios' eyes were red. Mine are blue. The color pattern on his feathers was different; for example, he had blue around the crown of his head. I have blue around one eye. Look at me, Sue. Do I look anything like the dragon that gave his life for this beautiful city?_

She was still glaring at me, but she wasn't interrupting. I felt like I was on a roll, so I kept at it.

_I am Latias' mate. If I were really her brother, why would I take part in such a taboo?_

All was silent for a few more moments. I thought I'd made a good point. Then she kicked the cage again. This time, she did so harder than ever before.

"No! Sale!" she screamed. "No sale. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You know how I can tell you're lying?"

_Sue, I'm not lying. Please, release me._

She walked back over to the light switch, and shut it off.

"Look at this."

She flicked the switch again, and the lights came back on.

"With the flick of a switch, these strange torches without flames ignite. If I hit the switch again? Poof!"

She turned the lights off again, and then turned them back on. After that, she walked over to a really old TV she had sitting on a table.

"If I turn this knob, I summon people within this box. If I turn it again, they disappear."

She demonstrated for me as if I was unfamiliar with the television, and the rapid on and off was enough to burn out the screen.

"If I wanted to get in touch with friends on the mainland back home, it would take weeks for the letter to get to them. If I want to talk to someone halfway across the world, I push some buttons and I can hear their voice in a handset _this very instant_."

She returned to me and showed me the Poké Ball again.

"Finally, by pointing this little sensor here at you and squeezing... your entire body can fit into the palm of my hand. So, I ask you... what sorcery is this?"

_Basic technology?_

I looked back at the TV, which still looked like it needed to take a minute to breathe.

_Judging by that asthmatic television set, very basic technology?_

"It's clearly witchcraft," she said. "That being said, if this land is bewitched so... who is to say that you did not simply change the way you look to fool everyone?"

_Sue, that's crazy._

"It's _OBVIOUS!_ So no, you're not going free. Not yet, at least. I told you, I aim to correct your behavior."

She started heading for the door after filling a bowl full of Pokémon food for the Umbreon.

"I'm going to personally see to it that you're like Latias, not that bastard Night Fury."

With that, the door slammed shut. What the hell did I get myself into?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,235 words.<strong>

**Sue is under a similar situation as Sly. Both were killed in their respective homes before their times, and both were given a second chance. The thing is, Sly was from California. Sue is from Berk (HTTYD), and was apparently killed by Toothless during the war between the humans and dragons. Her being sent to the Pokémon universe, as mentioned, crushed her mentally, whereas Sly, albeit with some difficulty, managed.**

**The point is, she's not working for Team Rocket. She's insane. We'll be covering more about just what it is she wants from Sly as the story progresses.**

**Next chapter covers Sly attempting to get the word to Latias about his predicament. It might not be a very long chapter.**


	24. A Happy Place in Hell

**Chapter 8**

**A Happy Place in Hell**

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><p><strong>"The lovesick, the betrayed, and the jealous all smell alike."<strong>

**-Sidonie Gabrielle Colette**

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><p>I couldn't believe this. It was around the time that she slammed the door shut that I thought about the way her eyes looked, and the crazy in them could've reached out and bit me.<p>

I was kicking myself, of course. I'd never been made a victim of dragon nip before. It's like sitting around and doing nothing: It feels great until it passes, and then you're left feeling empty.

Latias would've probably known something was up with this girl right away. She's more cut out for this job than I am. She's been doing it much longer than I, too.

I know, I know. Why didn't I just break out of the cage and escape? First of all, if I made a move, the dark type she had watching me would attack. Second, I could see a wireless camera stuck to the ceiling with dental putty. Third, and this is the important part, I was captured. If she used one of the newest Poké Ball releases, that meant tracers, and it also meant the ball had an RFID tracker in case it was stolen. Certain trainers get these little electronic thingamagigs that scan Pokémon, contain an electronic form of the trainer's license, play the radio, trace captured pokémon that have escaped (unless they were released permanently from the ball), and some of them even glow in the dark. They're updated continuously, so I'm not even sure if that's the limit.

Needless to say, Sue didn't feel the need to hide the fact that she had bribed some egg head for one of those things (Ash-hole showed me his and told me all about it, but I always forget the name). Bottom line: She got me good. I had to be very careful trying to use any semblance of my psychic powers. If the Umbreon picked up on it, there would be some trouble.

However, I had to get the word out to Latias that I'd been taken. I didn't know at the time that she'd already found out.

So, I waited until the Umbreon was distracted with eating, and then I tried to contact her through telepathy.

_Latias, you're going to hate me._

She responded instantly.

_No, no. Are you okay? Do you know who took you?_

_Latias, Sue was a traitor. She's been nipping me since we met to gain my trust, and now she's captured me._

I could feel her take a deep breath.

_Sly, the police are scrambling. They're treating it like an act of terrorism._

I glanced over my shoulder at the Umbreon, who was still too fixated on its food to notice me.

_She's got an Umbreon watching me and I think she can trace me if I escape. We need to get the ball she linked to me if I'm going to get out of here._

_Sly, don't do anything. Just give her what she wants. The worst thing you can do is take matters into your own paws._

I smiled a little at her pun. She knew jokes helped calm me down.

_What can you tell me about the situation? Is she transporting you to the DMA?_

I shook my head, froze, and looked at the Umbreon. It was still munching away as if it were having it's last meal.

_No. She has me in a warehouse. She thinks I'm your brother. She's nuts._

At this point, the Umbreon picked up on my active link, but I (of course) hadn't noticed.

_Do you think you have energy for sight sharing?_

I looked around the room (but, unfortunately, not at the Umbreon). Just as I was going to try and show her my location, I was in agony. My very mind felt as though it were imploding, my telepathic link with Latias shattered, and I howled out. My mind, the most important asset I have for the control of my powers, was in havoc. The Umbreon focused so much into the attack that not only did it disable my psychic abilities temporarily, but it also almost knocked itself out.

That was odd. As I was lying there (I no longer had the energy to lift my head), I wondered why it was so dedicated to keeping me contained. There had to be something more than "Sue asked me to." I've seen Pokémon simply refuse to battle Latias or I before simply because we are the legendary guardians. What did I do to this Umbreon to make it so eager to hurt me?

I couldn't ask yet, of course. I was still writhing in pain. I heard the door open.

"Sheesh, I was afraid the paint was going to peel off the walls. Good thing this place is soundproof."

I couldn't respond, because as I said, that attack knocked my psychic abilities out. Instead, I opened my eyes and looked at her.

"I guess you did something that was against the rules. You did look a little too focused- by the way, that camera thingy definitely adds ten pounds. Maybe a little time inside the ball would be good for you."

I wasn't able to move, even while she unlocked the cage and opened it up for me. I was still weak. Sue held the ball out in front of me.

"Now, why don't you think about what you've done?"

Do you remember how Ash-hole, Ginger, and Johnny Bravo snuck up on me while I was napping about a year ago and put a box over me, and I freaked out? I never really had a problem with closed spaces before my time with Sue. Even when I was inside the Soul Ball, part of me understood that it was my soul that was within it, and the soul doesn't have a size.

A Poké Ball actually can simulate an environment for the Pokémon that's within it, and when you're inside one, it doesn't really feel like a confined space.

Try telling that to someone like me, though. It was nature's beauty, and the mountains and trees extended as far as my eye could see. Above my head, the clouds were getting darker and a rainstorm was brewing. No part of the environment I was in suggested a closed area, but my brain kept telling me that I, a twelve foot nothing Latios, was in a ball that could fit in the palm of my captor's hand. With the press of a button, it could fit in her pocket.

Having said that, I don't do so well with confined areas anymore. Ash-hole and his buddies felt awful when Bianca told them why their little prank scared me that much. Many Pokémon love it inside the ball, but there's a small group that absolutely hate it. I belong to that group forever. Pikachu and I are its leaders.

Now, at that point, I was too busy trying to find a happy place in Hell, and there wasn't much else going on for me. Once I stopped responding to Latias' calls, she got worried.

She was at the Garden at that point, and Bianca was with her.

"What happened? Is he okay, Latias?" she asked.

_I just spoke with him. He says that girl he was meeting up with recently has been nipping him. She's the one that kidnapped him._

"Did you get his location?"

_Something's blocking me. It's worrisome. He was just speaking to me. I think he might've been found out. He did say she had an Umbreon watching._

Bianca had to speak to one of the detectives that was hired to look for me. The CSS knew that Bianca's family had some kind of connection with the legendaries, but they had no idea what to make of it. Out of respect for Latias and I, they don't try to dig.

Latias cloaked herself and tailed Bianca to the Police Station, where she waited outside until the meeting was over. Bianca told me she was taken to an interrogation room, but not as a suspect.

Bianca, Latias, and Mario aren't the types to just sit around and let the police handle something, especially if it means assisting a friend or family member. By the end of this story, you'd know the lengths they're willing to go to for me. Likewise, I would move Heaven and Earth if it meant helping them.

"Hello, Bianca. My name is Agent Bly. Let's have a chat, shall we?"

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,479 words.<strong>

**I'm sure everyone heard already, but Robin Williams, the actor and comedian, passed away Monday, August 11. I didn't really watch too many of his movies, but that wasn't because I didn't like him. The last thing I thought I'd read last night when I got home from work was a news report on his death. My heart goes out to his family.**

**It occurs to me that this story can be done in one of two ways: Bianca is the hero, or Ash. I'm not so certain I want to have Ash come back to save the day again, since it would be the third time in this scenario. However, if I go with Bianca, I'll have to do a little more work on the outline of this story. It shouldn't be too much, but...**

**Anyway, I'm leaving it up to you guys: We'll probably see Ash again regardless, but his role would either slightly increase or slightly decrease. There shouldn't be a huge difference in the outcome no matter which path we go, but I'm asking you: Do you want Ash to come back and save the day, or should we give Bianca a chance to be the, ahem, heroine?**

**There's still a few chapters before I need to have someone selected, but I'd like to know what you guys want to see more. Let me know in the review section here, because I don't want to make a poll again until the story is over. If the result is a 50/50 split, I'll flip a coin. If nobody responds, I'll... flip a coin.**

**Next chapter covers Bianca's meeting with the police, and the beginning of a search by a legendary dragon and a fat Italian plumber.**


	25. 23 Furry Little Felines

**Chapter 9**

**23 Furry Little Felines**

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><p><strong>"Be careful going in search of adventure- it's ridiculously easy to find."<strong>

**-William Least Heat-Moon**

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><p>Little Bart wants to be a policeman when he grows up.<p>

The CSS is known for a 99% success rate and a maximum security prison. I'm sure I've mentioned that before.

They are among the most effective policing organizations on the planet. Some people think that the guardians are actually trained CSS Pokémon. In case you aren't following along, we are _not._

Any individual agent has extensive skill in Pokémon training- recruits are actually sent to the mainland to take the gym challenge with a team of their choice before they're admitted. Any one agent carries at least two Pokémon with them, and in case of dire emergency, a handgun.

Weapon-wise, they are trained in pistols, as I've said, shotguns, and submachine guns or assault rifles. A few are trained in sharpshooting. They're the guys that you might see wearing that beret that says "P. I. G." on the front. The point is, the police can use Pokémon and weaponry.

They train for months in hand to hand combat, as well as running.

I think I've told you about commandos, or what we referred to as the Marine Corps back at home. The CSS is, essentially, both.

Having said all that, you'd think the first thing Bianca would say might have something to do with what they were doing, in all their power, to find me, right?

Wrong.

"Look, before we even start, let me just say this: Refrain from using my last name. It makes me sound like an old hag."

Agent Bly didn't smile or nod. He sat down across the table from her and set a folder down between them.

"What can you tell me about Latios' disappearance?"

She slumped.

"Probably not much more than you can tell me."

"I know that Latios was attempting to stop a mugging in progress when he was attacked by a woman about your age. She injected him with some kind of sedative and escaped our efforts with the help of a smoke screen."

He plopped a laminated photocopy of a trainer's license onto the table for her to look at.

"This is the mugging victim. He's supposed to come in later today to talk us through what the girl looked like, as our first responder couldn't give a good description beyond how she looked young. Now, you can save us all some grief if there's something to add that we aren't aware of yet."

Bianca stared at the license copy for a while. Agent Bly must've thought that she was just fishing for anything of use, but she was really memorizing the guy's face, listed address, and name.

"Bianca, we know you have connections with Latios and Latias. I'm not here to ask anything personal. I just want to know something that might help us help you."

Finally, she looked back up at the man. "You want my help? Unplug the camera in the corner, and take off the microphone."

Bly said nothing, but stood up and unplugged the camera that was eyeing them both. He returned to the table and shrugged.

"I don't know what microphone you're talking about."

Now, I can't stress enough that I was not there for this part, so I don't know how accurate what happened next is. Bianca swore by it, though.

Apparently she took a glass of water that had been waiting for her since she got into the room and soaked Bly's dress shirt with it. Instantly the wire he was wearing was on the table, dripping wet.

I think it's more likely that she refused to say anything to help until he took the stupid thing off, or maybe it didn't even exist in the first place, but if I'm going to believe Bianca's account (and I owe her that much, at least), then the long arm of the law lost an arm wrestling match to the longer arm of Bianca.

After he threw the wire onto the table, he took a breath through his nose.

"Guess I forgot about that one," he said. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I guess you did."

He sat back down and stared at her expectantly.

"Latios saved a girl from drowning in one of our canals around a week ago. They started meeting up every now and again."

Bly was scribbling away on a pad.

"Are you familiar with dragon nip?" asked Bianca.

"Herb that grows wild on the mainland. My buddy's wife makes a great penne alla vodka with it."

"Do you know what it does to dragon types?"

"Already writing it down. You're saying she nipped a legendary guardian."

Bianca nodded. "She used it to get close, and then she betrayed him."

"What's her name?"

"She said it was Sue something. I'm sorry, I don't recall her last name."

Bly didn't say anything in return. Instead, he just stared at her.

"Look, I never met this girl. I only know about her through..."

He said nothing else, and instead scribbled a number on a business card.

"As soon as you remember anything else, you call me at either of these numbers. I don't care if it's day or night. If you can't reach me at the business number, the one I just wrote down is my personal phone."

Bianca took the card and turned it around a few times in her hand.

"You can go. I need a change of shirt."

She smiled sheepishly.

* * *

><p>Bianca's parents are nice enough folks, but I would still call them neglectful. Work takes priority over family for them. Her mother is a musician, as you know. She does a lot of travelling. Her father is a scientist, and he spends most of his time working, as well. To this day, I have no idea how those two workaholics managed to scrounge up enough down time to date, marry, and mate.<p>

Coincidentally, that's the name of one of her mother's most successful albums: Date, Marry, and Mate. It went triple aluminum.

The point is, they understood that a child needs a constant family, and if Bianca lived with them, she wouldn't have had a very happy childhood. Her mother would be gone constantly if she lived with her father, and her father would be too preoccupied with work to properly raise her. If she lived with her mother, she'd be uprooted too often. She wouldn't be able to maintain friendships or spread roots. Therefore, the best bet was leaving her in the care of her Grandfather and two legendary dragons, where she was guaranteed a wonderful upbringing.

Latias helped raise her, you know. She and Latios babysat her when Mario had to work. One would go on patrol, and the other would stay with her at his house, or she'd stay with them at the garden. Latios and Latias were the closest things to stable guardians that she had, and she didn't have a problem admitting that. Likewise, sometime during my first few weeks here, Latias told me that she loved Bianca like a daughter. That's one of the reasons we call her the Latias that was born a human.

Now, the connection resulting from that kind of love gave Bianca the equivalent of an innate ability to locate the dragoness when she was cloaked. Years of playing hide and seek actually paid off. She knew where Latias was when she left the police station, which turned out to be right next to the door.

"1313 Prospect Street," whispered Bianca.

_What's that, Sly's location?_

Bianca looked around to make sure nobody heard her.

"No, the location of the person he was trying to help. If we ask him a few questions..."

_We might get some good news._

Bianca shook her head. "You mean I might get some good news. You should go on your patrol. I'll let you know what I find out."

_Are you sure you don't want someone to back you up?_

Bianca smiled in Latias' direction. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

It was a good idea. The last thing the town needed was for _both_ guardians to be out of commission, so Latias did as Bianca suggested and went for her patrol. Meanwhile, Bianca paid the would-be mugging victim a visit.

He felt grateful for my attempted intervention, and guilty that he didn't do anything to help me. This is kind of embarrassing, but I can't for the life of me remember what Bianca said that guy's name was. For the sake of the story, I'm just going to call him Muffy, because I thought he looked like a carpet sample.

She knocked on the door to his house and claims to have almost been blasted backwards by the sounds of many Meowths. When Muffy opened the door, the smell almost made her gag. She says he must've had 23 furry little felines.

We had a name for that where I was from: Crazy Cat Person.

"Oh, wow... Um, hi!"

Now, Bianca is a gifted human being. She's smart, she's got a great personality, she is super nice to everyone until they aren't to her anymore, and she's also very pretty.

Apparently Muffy looked like it was his first time ever seeing a member of the opposite sex. Except for a few of his Meowths.

"Hi, my name is Bianca. I'm a private investigator. I've been looking into Latios' kidnapping, and I understand you were there when it occurred."

Muffy's odd grin fell. Suddenly, he was all business.

"Yes. I feel awful about the whole thing. Latios was there to help me. Some guy was trying to steal my wallet."

"What can you tell me about the occurance?" she asked. Muffy opened the door a little wider.

"Do you want to come in? It looks like it's about to start raining."

She was shaking her head instantly.

"No, thank you. I have a dreadful allergy to Meowths."

Muffy stared at her for a few moments, and for good measure, she faked a sneeze. Why did she fake it? Bianca's not really allergic to Meowths.

"Oh, that's terrible. I can't imagine being allergic to these guys!"

Muffy took an inhaler out of his pocket and put it to his lips. He took a wheezy breath and shook his head.

"Nope, can't imagine it."

"Let's stay focused. What can you tell me about Latios' kidnapping?"

"Right, sorry. Like I said, Latios showed up and intervened as I was being robbed. The guy trying to steal from me had a battle with him. He was using an Umbreon, and even then... Latios looked like he was going to win."

Bianca nodded, and faked a cough.

"Out of nowhere, this girl shows up, and she starts helping him out with a Cyndaquil. Together they beat the guy, and Latios let her get close. It was like he knew her. I saw her with the syringe, but I thought it was some kind of medication, because he did get bit... but instead of helping him regain his energy, the injection knocked him out."

Bianca cringed. "And at that point she used a Poké Ball on him, right?"

"Right. She called him Sly before he lost consciousness, too... but who would name a Pokémon Sly? Who would name _anyone_ that?"

A drunk, sad and angry person would, but that's neither here nor there.

"Do you remember what she looked like?" she asked.

"She had blonde hair, brown eyes, and she was about your size. She was pretty, too. She threatened to hurt me if I did anything to stop her, and the smoke screen prevented me from seeing where she ran off to."

If I were the one investigating, I'd have hit the dead end right there. Like I said, though. Bianca is very smart.

"What about the Poké Ball?" she asked. Muffy was confused.

"What about it?"

"Do you remember what model it was? Was it new or old?"

He seemed to perk up a little bit. "Yeah, yeah! I remember. It was one of the newest models. You know, the ones with the air conditioning and the heaters built in?"

Bianca smiled. "That's great. You've been a big help."

Why was that a big help? There are many stores that sell Poké Balls in Altomare, but only two sell the newest ones when they first come out. If Bianca could find out which was the store Sue purchased the ball from, she might be able to narrow down my location unless it was paid for in cash.

So, Bianca thanked Muffy one final time and headed for the Museum. It was time to get Super Mario involved, because if one thing is for sure, it's this:

Mario just doesn't save kidnap victims enough.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,215 words.<strong>

**I don't know if I mentioned this yet, but my basement flooded in June. Insurance covered that. My basement flooded again last week. Insurance didn't cover that.**

**I spent the better part of Friday downstairs with a wet-dry vac whislt using the kind of foul language that would make a sailor blush. But enough about sport.**

**I'm working tomorrow, I got nominated to pour ice on my head or something, which I don't really understand because I live under a rock, school starts in a few weeks, and I'm planning on filming one more thing this coming week.**

**Next chapter covers Bianca and Mario checking those two stores to see if Sue bought the ball she used on Sly locally, and then Mario jumps on a turtle shell. It shouldn't be a very long chapter.**

**Oh, and I'm leaning towards using Bianca as the heroine here, not Ash. That should be interesting.**


	26. A Regular Clark Gable

**Chapter 10**

**A Regular Clark Gable**

* * *

><p><strong>"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."<strong>

**-Bruce Lee**

* * *

><p>Unless you've got a warrant for it, getting information from a place of business is like pulling teeth. That's an important fact to remember for life.<p>

"...So, I'd really appreciate seeing your records of Poké Ball purchases for the last three weeks. Specifically, the newest released versions," said Bianca. The salesperson she was speaking to smiled politely, and nodded.

"I see."

So, Bianca probably had every reason to think that she was going to get what she asked for, but instead of a folder full of boring old receipts, she got something else.

"What is this?" she asked.

"This is a copy of our confidentiality policy. There's no way I'm giving you those records."

"But, it's like I told you: I'm trying to investigate Latios' kidnapping."

The woman crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh? Are you working with the police?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes!"

"Officially?"

"Oh. Um, no."

At that point, the saleswoman leaned over the counter a little.

"Would you like me to call the police? Perhaps you can explain what you're really doing here."

"You don't believe me," Bianca stated bluntly.

"We have a regular here that we call Lyin' Ryan. Know why we call him that?"

"Because he lies?"

She squinted her eyes. "Yes, and do you know what that makes me?"

"Uncooperative?"

"It makes me a human lie detector. I know how to tell when Ryan is making up a story about having money at home, just like I know when an identity thief is in my building using a tragedy to try and gain sensitive information-"

Remember how I said that getting information from a place of business without a warrant is like pulling teeth? Perhaps I should've clarified and said that it's only true if you're a human. At that moment, Latias herself appeared right next to Bianca, and you know how terrifying she can look if she's angry or upset?

Let's just say that she was not amused at the idea of this saleswoman calling Bianca, _the girl that SHE raised_, a liar and a thief. Not only was that offensive to her in and of itself, but it also suggested that she and her brother were both liars and thieves- the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know. You should never call Latias a liar or a thief. Life is already too short.

At that point, the saleswoman wasn't leaning over the counter anymore. She had her back against the wall behind her, and Bianca swears she was so pale that she blended in with the white paint. It was a good thing nobody else was in the store at the time.

_Bianca, sweetheart? Why don't you wait outside for a moment?_

"Latias, I-"

NOW, _missy._

I'm a little fuzzy on the next part. Latias says she threatened to ground Bianca because she knows she'll listen. I mean literally ground her. She's not allowed to go on flights with us when Latias is angry with her.

Bianca says she left because she knows how Latias gets when she's that upset, and it can be kind of hard to tell when Latias is playing mother to Bianca to mess with her (which she does often), and when she's doing it for real (which is also a normal occurance).

Bianca was also either instructed not to or just did not deem it a wise decision to look back inside the market while Latias confronted the clerk. The dragoness herself refuses to tell me just what she did in there, but she does insist that it wasn't anything physically, mentally, or emotionally scarring.

Well, more so than meeting a legendary guardian can be. There's always a bit of scarring involved in that situation, but I digress.

All I know for sure is, when Latias came out of the building and vanished again, she did not do so before giving Bianca the records she was trying to get. Again, I wasn't there, and Latias won't tell me, so to this day I have absolutely no idea how she managed to do it.

_I had her highlight the information for the sales of the latest model Poké Balls. Give that a once over for me, okay? I'm going to go see if Lorenzo needs help at the other market._

"Wait! Latias... what just happened?"

_That's my secret. I didn't hurt her, don't worry. Now, go on and read, read, read!_

Then Bianca, not wanting to anger Latias like the clerk, did as was asked of her...

* * *

><p>Mario had a problem getting the records that was somewhat similar to Bianca's, but he chose a different way of getting them.<p>

Bianca decided to tell the truth, though she told it slant. Mario told a sob story which was easy for him to sell because he's old. For good measure, I heard he dressed in a suit jacket that was much too small and was using a cane. It probably made it easier to pity him.

"That's a bold claim you're making, sir. Do you expect us to believe that someone bought one of our balls, reprogrammed it to catch already-owned Pokémon, and used it to steal your Quilava?"

For the record, Mario does not have, and never has had a Quilava.

"I don't expect you to believe it. I just want you to help me find him. Please."

"Sir, I can't-"

"Every second spent doing nothing only puts more distance between it and me. You know, when I was in the hospital, it was Rocky that took care of things around the house. He's family. Please, just help me help him."

Mario should've been an actor to his wife's actress. If he's telling the truth, and Latias, who was there for most of it, will back him up, then I say he's a regular Clark Gable.

He even got a few tears going to really drive the point home.

"I'm sorry," he said between sobs. The clerk offered him a tissue. "Thank you for your time."

With that, he turned away and started walking in a slow shuffle to the exit, when the clerk called after him.

"Wait!"

He stopped walking, but he didn't turn around or drop his act.

"Let me get a copy of the records for you. But don't tell anyone."

He turned back to the clerk, and nodded shakily.

"No, I swear," he said gently.

"Don't get me fired."

"No, no. Thank you so much. You're being such a big help."

End scene. Mario won that day for two reasons, one of which being he didn't need Latias to bail him out. When everyone met up in his office, they spoke about what they learned.

Bianca placed her records on the table.

"I've got two women named Sue that bought Poké Balls. One of them bought some of the older releases, which means she's not the one we're looking for. The other purchased the new release, but returned it the next day. Basically, my store was bust. And Latias? I know you're worried about Sly, but you can't just-"

_Bianca, that wasn't about Sly. That was about someone being rude to you when you're only trying to help us._

"But-"

_We'll talk more about it later if you'd like. Lorenzo? Did you find anything?_

He nodded.

"There are three girls named Sue on this list. Sue Kidd, Sue Denim, and Sue White. Kidd must've just got her trainer's license, because she paid with a balance on it and is ten, which means it can't be her. I called White on the number she provided with her license for the purchase, and apparently she's been in the hospital for the last four days, meaning she couldn't have been the one responsible. The only one I can't reach is Sue Denim, which sounds like an alias in and of itself."

Bianca smiled. "Bingo."

"She paid using a balance on her own trainer's card," added Mario, and _THAT_ is the other reason why he won that day.

_Then I think the next stop should be the Pokémon Center. I believe Sly said something about her only visiting, and they could probably help us more regardless._

While I wasn't sure at the time if she still had the room at the Center, Nurse Ratched had access to a database with the names of all registered trainers on it. It would probably take some doing, but maybe she listed this place as her address?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,501 words.<strong>

**That short film is finally finished. It's called _Fore!_**

**Good luck trying to find it with GoogleTube's pathetic search engine. You used to be able to find anything you were looking for. Now you can't find anything that isn't super popular, it seems. Thanks, Google.**

**Also, school is in session again. Yaaaaay.**

**Next chapter is probably going to be a short one. It covers Bianca and Latias investigating the Center, but being intercepted by Sue.**

**Oh, one more thing: Does anyone know a few moves that Smeargle might learn? It might be important for future chapters. I feel like making a reference to _A New Chance at Adventure_.**

**You know, that other Pokémon fanfic. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look for something to eat for breakfast and not find anything. **


	27. Cussing a Pen Into Existence

**Chapter 11**

**Cussing a Pen Into Existence**

* * *

><p><strong>"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops."<strong>

**-Cary Grant**

* * *

><p>It wasn't. Before I get to their visit to the Center, however, maybe it would be a good idea to mention the conversation Bianca ended up having with the detective that was working on my disappearance.<p>

First and foremost, you may already know that psychic types have the ability to mess with electronics. If Latias or I need to enter a store and shed our disguises, we can temporarily disable surveillance measures by way of a psychic jolt. It's the equivalent of an electromagnetic pulse. It only works, however, if there are no dark types in the area.

Anyway, Bianca had just left Mario's office with a disguised Latias, and standing in front of the DMA was the detecive. He was apparently wearing a necklace with a bullet on it, which he quickly stuffed into his shirt as soon as he saw them eyeing him.

Also, and she didn't see it at the time, but as we know now, he's got a tattoo on each bicep: One reads "P. I. G." and the other reads "H. O. G."

In other words, he's not somebody to mess with. He'll tell you why he wears that bullet when you're older.

"Bianca, hello. I'm sure you remember me."

He eyed Latias for a moment. "Ah, this must be your sister!"

Latias gave a friendly smile.

"Yeah. In fact, we were just about to go out, so if this isn't something pressing..."

"Actually, it is."

Bly held up a few pictures, one of which being Bianca in the store asking for confidential information, and another being Mario doing the same.

"The manager of one of these stores swears that Latias herself forced her to give up confidential records... but any footage of that was conveniently destroyed. That's not why I'm here, though. Care to tell me who this people are?"

Bianca stared at the picture of herself and her grandfather, and shrugged.

"It's kind of hard to tell. They could be anybody."

Then, for good measure, she pointed to the picture of Mario. "He looks like a tramp, if that's any help."

"Don't. Officially, I have to warn you: Illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible in court. This is a matter for the police to handle, and handle it we will. You just go about your business. If you continue to try to assist without being asked, you will be arrested for the obstruction of justice."

Latias scowled and crossed her arms, and Bianca followed suit. Bly took a step closer.

"Unofficially, I want to say that whatever you're trying to do to save a legendary guardian is excusable. As head detective on this case, I'll be keeping an eye on you, as well. I'm going to be looking in all the wrong places. By mistake, of course."

Latias let her arms fall to her sides and smiled, and Bianca did the same.

"If, however, you overstep the line, it wouldn't matter if you were trying to save Mew. Do you understand?"

Latias and Bianca nodded.

"Don't get me fired."

"I promise," said Bianca. "I'm really trying to remember that girl's name. I'll try to have something for you soon."

Bly nodded. "We're working on a warrant for the same information you procured. If you don't know anything yet, we'll probably learn something by the evening either way."

Bianca nodded. Bly paused for a moment, and then turned towards the door.

"I'll await your call."

Then, without waiting for a response, he left, and Bianca and Latias were standing still for a few moments.

_Oh, my._

"Yeah, can't believe how quick they found out."

_Not that._

Bianca looked at Latias. "Then what?"

She paled the moment she saw Latias' teasing smile.

_You think he's cute, don't you?_

In reality, she probably didn't blush that deeply, but Latias says she turned so red that she looked like she was about to turn into, well, a Latias.

She didn't say anything about the inquiry, though. Latias didn't need her to. She got the answer.

"W-why don't we go to the Pokémon Center and see if we can learn anything?" asked Bianca, trying desperately to hide her face. Or, you know, so Latias claimed.

So, the two of them left for the Center. Mario would stay behind to rest.

When they walked into the lobby, Nurse Ratched was at her desk like usual, and the place was pretty busy.

A television mounted on the wall was tuned to a news station detailing all that the town knew of my disappearance (which was not much). They only knew that the kidnapper was a young adult and female. They were calling her Jill the Shredder, because she shredded the unity the town felt while under the watch of both guardians, or some other such nonsense.

In all the commotion, it was difficult to get Nurse Ratched's attention. She was apparently already busy trying to calm a crowd of concerned civilians down, all of which were wondering if I was alive, though Latias says one guy was more concerned with where to find the nearest bathroom. Bianca knew better than to bother her any more than she already was being bothered, so she and Latias decided to just check each room, thereby bothering all those that were staying at the Center, depending on the luck of their draw.

However, they didn't have to actually start before Sue approached them.

"Hi, Tia. You guys really are twins, aren't you?"

When the two of them whirled around, they saw her. I was not with her, though. She was holding a picture in one hand. Bianca says it took a lot to keep herself from getting physical.

"It's uncanny. Seriously. Now, which one of you is the one Latios lied to me about?"

"Sue?"

She shook her head. "If he lied to me about me, I would probably know it. Unless he's just a really good liar."

She chuckled.

"He must be, if he was able to trick Latias for 9 years."

Though in our human guises we have no vocal chords, Bianca swears she heard Latias growling. Before either of them could make a move, or demand my location, however, Sue offered them the picture she was holding.

Now, in that picture, I looked absolutely terrible. At that point, I was definitely not doing well, but that picture makes me look like I'm dying.

In actuality, I was _sleeping._ I was still being effectively crippled by the dark type, but it wasn't necessarily a matter of life and death at that point.

She pointed to a paper in front of my still form.

"That's today's periodical. Check when you get home. He's fine for now."

"Where are you keeping him, Sue? Just tell us. It'll be easier for you."

Sue ignored them. "You know, I really do feel for Latias, and I'm sure you guys don't really understand what I'm doing, but you will thank me for it one day. Look, I don't want to hurt him. I'm actually trying to help Altomare. You failed to discipline him after his nine year vacation, so I will. I promise I will release him, too. I only need to teach him to be loyal to his home."

"Sue, if you want to help Altomare, let him go!"

She shook her head. "Not until he learns his lesson. I will make sure he learns it, don't worry."

Sue turned away to try and leave, but Bianca got in front of her again. Latias stood behind her to prevent her escape.

Sue scoffed. "You guys seriously think I'm going to back down? He's a sick puppy. I am finishing what I started with your blessing or not. If you're still planning on demanding him back, remember these words: I said I don't want to hurt him. Keep sticking your nose into my business, however, and Latios will mysteriously vanish again, only this time it will be for a lot longer than nine years."

They were both too stunned to respond. Sue apparently smiled a kind smile at them.

"Okay? Great! And if you follow me, I will destroy him. Good talk! Bye, now!"

As Sue was leaving them, Bianca made a mistake. She didn't do anything hostile, no, but she had a choice to make in that instance: Call Bly, or call Mario.

She called Mario, probably because she wanted to still hold onto some shred of the idea that she could find me without the help of the police- Ash-hole's previous exploits left quite a pair of shoes to fill. And speaking of Ash-hole, calling _him _to help out would be the ultimate admission of defeat on Bianca's part.

Now, she and Latias don't really remember what Mario said to her, but the gist of it was to swallow her pride and talk to the police, so she did so, albeit begrudgingly.

"Jason Bly."

"Hi, Mister Bly, this is Bianca. We spoke earlier."

"I know. I was there."

"Right. I have a name for you."

"Hold please."

Over the phone line, she could hear papers rustling frantically. Bly's not a very patient fellow. He has a tendency of losing his temper if he can't find something right away. Bianca says he sounded like he was cussing a pen into existence when they were on the phone.

"Okay, let me have it."

"Her name was Sue Denim."

To his credit, Bly had an APB out for that name in minutes.

Of course, by the time that was all going on, Sue was on her way back to have a little conversation with me.

Joy.

End of Chapter

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>1,681 words.<strong>

**I'll be looking into Smeargle's move set soon for the sake of the story, on account of having to. If you want to help out and suggest a few moves Smeargle might know, I will give you a virtual hearty handshake.**

**Basically, just never stop believing I'm giving you a handshake.**

**Next chapter covers Sue and Sly having some tea and phone sex. I may work on that idea a little bit more.**


	28. Why I Hate Computers

**I apologize for the delays. My computer crapped out last week (it's a bit over a year old), i got it fixed, and now, about a week later, it won't start again.**

**i've hardly had the opportunity to work on this new chapter because Windows is, well, a joke. And I'd like to invite the Apple store to chug a gallon of bleach for selling me an external hard drive that had malware on it. If you ever need an external hard drive, do NOT get anything made by the LaCie company.**

**tl;dr version: My computer is a pile of garbage that i need to take to the repair guy ****_again _****tommorow. There will be additional delays, but i managed to back up what i did write on a safe drive before the crash. I'll keep you guys posted if necessary, and again I apologize.**


	29. That Ugly Yellow Wallpaper

**Chapter 12**

**That Ugly Yellow Wallpaper**

* * *

><p><strong>"Anger is never without reason, but seldom with a good one."<strong>

**-Benjamin Franklin**

* * *

><p>Mental illness was very challenging to resolve in the past. Where I'm from, before psychology became more advanced, mental institutions were horrible places. They were actually very bad up until about 60 years before I, well, made my trip here.<p>

Someone actually wrote a very special book about them. It's where I got Nurse Joy's nickname.

About a hundred years ago, a mental hospital was the equivalent of a death sentence. People that went in usually did not come back out. Just ask Darl. Having said that, you did not go to the mental hospital if you could do something about it.

So, the top head doctors suggested that people who were having some kind of mild issue try the rest cure. It was built on the idea that the mind just needed a break, so people under that suggestion were told to just sit around. Sleep, eat, maybe look out a window. That's it. No writing, no cooking, no going out for a walk- nothing. Even socialization, if I recall correctly, was kept to a minimum.

The rest cure as a thing is, in reality, not effective. In fact, being cooped up for too long might actually make you worse, especially if there's a woman trapped behind that ugly yellow wallpaper.

You may recall my talking to you about meditation sessions, and how too many sessions, or very long ones, are detrimental, though you may see some type of improvement in your powers at first. Some psychic types refer to meditation as a rest cure. Unlike the one I was just discussing, however, this one is helpful.

I bring it up because the Umbreon watching me was keeping my powers crippled. He'd only leave me alone if I was asleep or unconscious.

So, I started doing a lot of sleeping and I feigned unconsciousness, but a few jabs was enough to call me out on the latter.

Naturally, I stopped doing that one so much.

She just walked into the room where I was being held and I promptly shut my eyes again.

"You can stop faking, Latios. I saw you open your eyes."

I growled lowly but did not comply.

"Come on, I'm just going to ask you a few questions and then you can go."

My eyes opened right up and I looked directly at her.

_Come again for big fudge?_

"Yeah. I'll totally let you go after you answer my question."

Now, Latias is not quite as vulnerable to dragon nip as I am, because she's had more run ins with it and built up a resistance. The difference between her history with the stuff and mine is, when she was nipped, it was not by an evil being. It was usually a practical joke or by a certain girl that was trying to get out of being grounded.

When Bianca was little, way before I got here, she failed an important test in school that she told Latias she studied for. Here's the thing: she hadn't. She just said she did so Latias would let her play and have fun all day instead of making her study.

She would fly on Latios' back when he was there, and Latias would carry her if she was present. Of course, they didn't go too fast or high when she was that young. I probably don't have to tell you that flying is awesome, and it's what anyone that's experienced it would rather be doing at any time. You know, unless they have a fear of heights.

So, Bianca told Latias that she was all studied up and ready for the test when she really wasn't. Her logic was, the test would be a multiple choice one, so it would be easy.

And then she got an 18% on it. Now, lying to Latias is not a good idea. Bianca knew that the dragoness would want to see her test results, and she'd managed to hold her off for a few days, saying that she didn't get it back yet, but Latias would get suspicious if she kept it up, so she took some dragon nip from Mario's backyard, and kept it in her backpack for when she got to the garden.

It worked. She actually showed Latias the test score and the dragoness just kind of blinked, and decided that the swingset was looking especially fascinating and flew over to it with Bianca. It seemed like her plan was working perfectly. She didn't even have to lie again! It was great...

...Until Latios came back from his patrol and caught Bianca with the dragon nip. She ended up grounded for a month. Every day she was with them was nothing but hard studying. It was almost a punishment to Latias, too. It was a good move, though. Bianca was always made to study when a test was on the horizon, and for that discipline, she earned straight A's all through high school and made the Dean's Honor List when she was in Universiy.

I nodded.

_Ask away! Anything!_

She grinned devilishly and put her hands on her knees.

"Why did you disappear for nine years?"

Great. This again.

I shook my head.

_I didn't disappear, Sue. I swear on my own life. I am not that Latios. He died saving his home and his sister._

The look on her face was neutral.

"Umbreon."

I winced because I was expecting an attack. She surprised me, though.

"You must be getting hungry. I'll get you some food in just a moment."

She knelt before my cage and my eyes never left hers.

"You're free to go."

My ears perked right up.

_Truly?_

She didn't respond. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled a key out, which she then used to unlock my cage. At that point, I was about ready to forgive all I'd endured under her care, because as Latias says, "enduring hatred is as useful as enduring intolerance."

She opened the door, too. Before I could get out, though...

"Umbreon, how about you leap in there and use crunch?"

It was around then that I noticed the dragon nip in her front pocket.

It happened very quickly. I couldn't get out of the cage before the Umbreon leaped in, and Sue shut and locked it behind him. It wasn't a large cage. It was able to hold my big frame, sure, and there was a little room for the Umbreon, but... it's like I said: Claustrophobia.

When it got inside, there was little time for me to worry about how much space we had between the two of us. I was in agony for... I don't know how long. Sue didn't let it kill me, of course. By the time she stopped it from its onslaught, however, I was already in bad shape.

Amateur trainers tend to only pay attention to the type advantage dark types have over psychic types. Bite is one thing. It usually won't break the skin; the damage it causes is focused on the corrosive nature of the dark type more so than the force behind the bite. Crunch, on the other hand, is a double whammy. It's equal parts corrosive and physically damaging.

I received many wounds from the Umbreon in those moments. Because it was smaller than me, it had an easier time in attacking me and I had a harder time defending myself.

When she finally decided enough was enough I was bleeding from multiple wounds. Before I fainted, I could have sworn that I earned a look of sympathy from the Umbreon, like he didn't mean to hurt me so badly.

I was too hurt to smile, but before I shut my eyes I remember thinking one thing and one thing only:

I might have an angle.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,356 words.<strong>

**So, computer problems combined with another film shoot caused delays on this one. I haven't edited that video yet.**

**Also, if you have Netflix, and you happen to see a movie listed called _Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead_... just skip over it. It's worse than _Troll 2._**

**Next chapter covers Bianca meeting up with Sue, making friends with her, and then having a battle.**

**I promise it makes more sense than it sounds like it does.**


	30. The Power of Telethy

This Page Intentionally Left Blank :-)

K thx.

Love, See That Guy


	31. Everybody Loves Government Inertia

**Chapter 13**

**Everybody Loves Government Inertia**

* * *

><p><strong>"In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then, he made school boards."<strong>

**-Mark Twain**

* * *

><p>Sue must've known what would happen if she kept the room at the Center for too long. I don't know if she had it booked under the name she gave me, or if she used another fake name, but it was only a matter of time before the police swarmed the place. I think the only reason she managed to hold onto it for the extra few days she did while the APB was out on her head is because, well, she rarely went back.<p>

I should also probably mention that I was fully aware that her real name was not Sue Denim. I kept being fooled by it for a few days while I was her captive because of the stupid dragon nip.

Since I never found out just what her real name was, I've always just called her Sue.

On her last day returning to the Center, Nurse Joy didn't act like anything was out of the ordinary. The police did not try to sting her room for fear of explosives or some kind of ambush, or worse, her catching wind of it and killing me. Instead, Ratched was told to call as soon as she saw Sue.

So, when the wanted nut job waltzed past the front desk in the direction of her room, she went for the phone. However, Bianca stopped her.

"Nurse Joy."

Ratched jolted, but relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Bianca. What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for that girl. Listen, I need you to do me a favor."

Ratched smiled, and nodded her head politely. "Anything, dear."

"I need you to hold off on calling the police. I'm trying to tail Sue back to where she's holding Latios."

"You mean, you're trying to tail her back to where she's holding Sly Stevens."

I really wish I was there to see the look on Bianca's face when Ratched made me. Alas, I wasn't.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Bianca. Mister Stevens increases his already frequent visits to the clinic just to see Susan, and then when Latios is kidnapped, he just vanishes? I'm not a simpleton, dear."

Bianca was probably going to tell her something to try and protect my identity, but the cat was pretty much out of the bag by then. She sighed through her nostrils.

"Don't worry. I won't tell a soul."

At that point, both women smiled. They must've heard footsteps down the hall, because Bianca didn't get to say anything else before Ratched shooed her down towards the sound.

It turned out to be Sue, just as they figured. The crazy didn't really freak out or get angry by seeing Bianca. She didn't react too much.

"Sue Denim."

"Oh, hi. You're miss, uhh... forget-your-name."

"Bianca."

Sue gave a devilish half-smile. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Are you planning on having me arrested? You'll never see Latios again. I have someone watching him that will do something drastic if I get pinched."

The smile on her face dropped, and she aligned herself with Bianca.

"Or are you here to fight me? Do you truly believe you can defeat a Viking in hand-to-hand combat?"

We all know the answer to that question. There's a reason Bianca is a black belt in Krav Maga and Jiu Jitsu. We'll get to that, don't worry.

I digress.

"No, I was here to tell you that I thought about what you said. You were right. Latios betrayed us."

Sue was silent, but her eyes widened slightly.

"I mean, he was gone for nine years. And he's such a coward that he can't just admit he was wrong? He has to take a new shape to put down suspicion? Are you kidding me?"

"You were so adamant to get him back from me. Why would you suddenly be supporting my cause?"

Bianca smiled, got closer to Sue, and whispered, "You never know who might be watching."

I guess that was the right answer, because Sue smiled back.

"I'm glad you finally see things my way. However, you'll understand if I don't tell you where Latios is."

Bianca nodded. "Of course."

Sue patted her shoulder. "Keep reading the periodicals. There's more to love coming soon."

Sue tried to get past Bianca, but the latter stopped her again.

"Hey, before you do leave... how about a quick battle?"

Sue paused for a moment to think, and shook her head.

"No. Not in here. Meet me behind the Center. There are no cameras there."

That's likely an old statement to you. We all know there are many cameras on streetlamps throughout Altomare. At the time, however, the only cameras that you would see were those protecting businesses. Even after this whole thing was over with, security was mostly unchanged for a while. Everybody loves government inertia.

So, Sue managed to avoid any of the cameras by returning to her room (it is illegal for surveillance cameras to be placed inside living quarters, except for in correctional facilities or with a warrant) and climbing out a window. Bianca walked out like a normal person and repeatedly made gestures to Ratched to wait a little longer.

Now, I want to mention something: Mew is one of the most powerful things in existence. Also one of the sweetest, as has been established. She can alter the very laws of physics using the stroke of a magical paintbrush she and all other Okamis have. She calls it the Celestial Brush. Latias is actually being groomed for one now. She'll be an Okami within the next decade as her power increases. Me? Probably not ever. I wouldn't want that responsibility anyway.

As I was saying, Mew can slice a diamond in two as if it were made of paper by the simple stroke of her brush. Had she felt led, she could tear a hole in the fabric of space-time with the brush. Remember how I said Okamis very rarely exert too much influence? There are reasons why.

Also, Mew is the second most talented with the brush. There is a Goddess elsewhere that surpasses her. You might know her. She and Mew are only best friends after all.

Anyway, Mew felt it would be nice to give certain Pokémon their own watered down version of the brush. So, we have Smeargles. Now, when I say they own a watered down Celestial Brush, I mean the only thing they can do with it is summon the power of any other pokémon with it. To keep it balanced, Mew made sure to make the power summoned was randomized every single time.

So, Candace, Bianca's Smeargle, tends to play a game of chance. The only move she knows is Sketch.

Now, that could be an issue in a battle. Like I said, it's a game of chance. You could get lucky and play a flamethrower on Wintergreen, or you could get in some big trouble and pull Earthquake against a flying type.

I don't know if you know this, but the Earthquake move doesn't work well against something that is making no point of contact with the Earth.

Still, this was one of the few times that Bianca was hoping for a bad draw. Before she got within visual of Sue, she had Candace out. And she was giving her a pep talk that wasn't really a pep talk. It was actually the "I want you to fail" talk, which is not something you usually give to someone you care about.

Now, Candace loves battling just as much as the next pokémon (except for the ones that I call Buddhists, because they always insist on the path to enlightenment like, well, the Buddha). Still, Sue was at best unstable. Bianca feared beating her and sending her into some kind of rage without knowing where I was. Candace likes me, so she agreed to throw the battle.

So, when Sue and Bianca met behind the Center, they stared each other down for a moment.

"Hey, Sue. Do you want a one pokémon battle or more?"

"Just one. It's all I have on me right now anyway."

Now, if there was ever a thing that Sue really messed up while holding me captive, it was that. She didn't think anything of it at the time, but Bianca did.

The reason she wanted the battle was because it would give her a chance to see just how many pokémon Sue was holding. It was a fairly slim chance. Sue probably wouldn't agree to a full battle with 6 pokemon. But, knowing even one helped. In this case, with there being only one on her, if it wasn't a dark type, that meant she would not detect Latias nearby if, say, she were to start tailing her back to my location.

Before the battle, let me go back a second. Yes, I said she may have had up to six pokémon with her, even though she'd captured me. So wouldn't I just get sent to a Center? No. She had her poké balls hacked, remember? I don't know the extent of her hacking, but it wouldn't have surprised me if she was able to hold more than six pokémon at a time.

So, now you see why Latias and I always tell you it's important to have a hobby.

Sue and Bianca both nodded.

"Okay, so it's one on one. I don't know how many you have on you, Brittany, but no switching out once you choose."

"It's Bianca."

Sue was silent for a moment, reached into her pocket, and took out a poké ball.

"I've heard it both ways," she whispered. Then, without giving Bianca a chance to say a word in response, she threw the ball.

"Cyndaquil, show us glory!"

If you're wondering, no. This was not the same Cyndaquil she used while she was kidnapping me. She had three of them. I never found out why. I guess she just liked them.

Bianca threw her poké ball too and just quietly released Candace.

"Oh, a cutie," observed Sue. I'm sure Candace appreciated that. "Cyndaquil, try your ember."

I'm not a fire type and though Latias and I can transform into human shapes or pokémon at will, I've tried to stay away from becoming a fire type. I mean, I became a Ninetales once as part of a little experiment, but I don't like being a fire type. Their powers are very difficult to use. I guess I'm just saying that because I don't have those instincts or the training required to use them effectively. However, I've heard that from a few Charizards before. It takes a lot of training to master their power over flames.

The point is, ember is a fairly weak fire attack, but it's very difficult to master. You have to put enough power into the little embers so they don't go out while travelling. At the same time, you can't put too much power into them because then they go everywhere and you exhaust yourself.

Ember is also somewhat similar to a shotgun blast. They are far more effective when the target is close up. If something is too far away, the spread causes a drop in the probability of injury.

Bianca, meanwhile, thanked her lucky stars that she was raised by a legendary pokémon. It meant training and experience in most things that involved, well, pokémon. Having said that, she knew that Candace would not be able to avoid the attack completely. It was too quick. So instead, she told the little Smeargle to block her face with her arms, and the potential damage was somewhat reduced.

"Okay, Candace, use your brush. Sketch."

"Sketch?" echoed Sue. "Are you really planning to fight fire with fire? We'll be here all night."

"Don't even worry about it, Sue."

Bianca did have a plan, but it wasn't what Sue thought.

The thing about Candace is, being that she can use a watered down version of the Celestial Brush, she can't do things like alter the laws of physics, or slow down time, or make giant cherry bombs appear out of thin air like a certain diety. The moves she is able to copy don't rely on some kind of inner power, if that makes sense.

She will not exhaust herself by using her Sketch ability. She may run out of her holy smokes (the ink of the Brush), but she won't feel tired from it.

Cyndaquil? Not so much. Bianca's plan wasn't to slowly weaken the little firework with ember.

"Cyndaquil. You know what to do."

As it started to prepare another Ember attack, Bianca had Candace wait. Just as it was about to release the attack...

"Okay, Candace. Ember."

The outside of a Cyndaquil is flame retardant. The inside? Well...

I wasn't here for this, obviously, but Bianca swears that at least a few flames caught the Cyndaquil in its mouth, which apparently started some kind of chain reaction with the poor little Pokémon's initial attack. The Cyndaquil was sent tumbling backwards, its prepared attack was null and void, and it started coughing like mad.

I didn't have to be there to know that Bianca had a good chance to win that battle. However, she feared for Sue's mental stability. If the cooky idiot lost the battle, who is to say she wouldn't take that out on me? Or that poor, poor television?

She let the Cyndaquil recover. Candace even pretended to have issues with her brush for good measure. It didn't take long for the Cyndaquil to get up.

"Okay! Cyndaquil, while it's distracted! Ember!"

Bianca, in a hushed voice, whispered, "Candace!"

The little painter turned her head to acknowledge the trainer, and nodded. It took a breath in, and allowed the attack to hit. She pretended to have been seriously injured, and fell backwards and shut her eyes.

Well, apparently she deserved an award for her acting, because Bianca called back her pokémon.

"Already? We were just getting warmed up!"

She laughed at her own little joke. "Get it? Warmed up? Because Cyndaquil controls fire?"

"Yeah, I get it. That's very clever, Sue. Hey, thanks for the battle! Maybe we can do it again sometime!"

Sue was silent for a few moments as she called back her Cyndaquil. "Well, I'm pretty sure I will get arrested if I am seen around here. But, yeah. Uhh... I'll find you! Don't find me."

Bianca blinked. Sue looked over her shoulder nervously.

"Okay, I've got to see a man about a dragon. But first, a drink. Bye, Lucy!"

Lucy?

With that, the cooky moron ran off. Bianca didn't bother correcting her, because to do so might bring her unwanted attention. That wouldn't be good for what was going to happen next.

Latias was going to follow Sue back to me. Bianca gestured after the nutcase to the invisible dragoness, and she was off after her.

She had to be careful, of course. It was fine if the Umbreon sensed her in passing or something. Then she may have been doing a patrol and I probably wouldn't get blamed. If it detected Latias lingering nearby or overhead or something, however...

Well, that would be bad.

To Sue's credit, she was looking around often enough to eliminate any form of a human tail, but not often enough to look shady to anyone eyeing her from inside buildings. She stayed away from people, being unable to tell who was and was not a cop. If there was a person nearby, she found a way around them.

She couldn't tell where Latias was. Like I said though, she spent most of her time overhead.

She did sense a few dark types in passing, but Sue kept walking. If Latias were the one that was captured and I had to find her, the dark types would have scared me off. I would keep thinking I was going to be detected and endanger her.

Latias has, of course, been doing this for much longer than me. She kept herself calm. She carefully watched what Sue did, and she never turned in the direction Latias sensed the dark type in until several minutes into the trip. Finally, when she did walk towards the source of dark energy, Latias stayed on her for a little longer before having to leave to avoid suspicion.

She may not have found me yet, but she narrowed the location far better than I would have been able to.

It was good that she made that progress. Because according to Sue, I had some 'splaining to do.

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,803 words.<strong>

**I apologize for the bad delays on this chapter. The fates had conspired against me. Between school, work, family and friend drama, I was quite preoccupied. One thing after another lined up to kick me.**

**On February 7, 1914, The Little Tramp made his first appearance to audiences in _Kids Auto Races At Venice, _though his first shot appearance was in _Mabel's Strange Predicament, _which was released two days later. So, happy 101st birthday, Little Tramp!**

**Next chapter covers Sly 'splaining some stuff. I will do my damndest to not get my butt kicked by the world again.**


	32. Bigger Than A Breadbox

**Chapter 14**

**Bigger Than A Breadbox**

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><p><strong>"I intend to live forever. So far, so good."<strong>

**-Steven Wright**

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><p>As has been established, there are many Celestials. Also, good luck trying to understand them and the rebirth system with only logical thought. It won't happen.<p>

It is possible for a mortal soul to ascend to the status of a Celestial, though very rarely beyond the lowest tier. They never become Okami material because their power is not self sufficient.

Those that were always Okamis were not born. They simply are, and always have been. This is around the spot that the origin of all that is becomes weird and loopy. There was literally no time before the first universe existed. Having said that, it's possible to state that the Okamis existed only a few moments before the first "Big Bang." At the same time, it's possible to say that they existed for an infinite amount of "untime" before the first Big Bang.

Why am I bringing this whole thing up again? Simple. Sue wanted to know about the whole rebirth system.

"I'm telling you, I want to know."

_And I'm telling you: You won't understand._

Again: Rebirth, me, annoyed Mew, Nidoqueen.

"Umbreon, dark pulse."

The umbreon hesitated. It was no secret now that my strength was failing. All this time cooped up in a cage or Poké ball made me feel heavy. My blue feathers were dulling, the red marking on my chest began to fade- my body was withering.

I greatly feared losing the red marking. It's known as a divine marking to some, but it's really called a Celestial's Rune. Even non-celestials can have them if they are on a Plain.

If a non-celestial loses the Celestial Rune, it just means they may not be recognized by others with the mark. If an Okami loses the Rune, it will become temporarily mortal and its brush will not function. If something as weak as I am (compared to other Celestials) loses the Rune, we can lose ourselves. That is, everything that makes us, "Us."

They do return given recovery time.

The point of this whole thing is, the Umbreon very clearly saw my condition, and it visibly hesitated in its attack. It looked at Sue, who stared back impatiently. It sighed, and attacked me as was commanded.

So, of course I shrieked. However, it wasn't the strongest attack I was subjected to before. I silently thanked the Umbreon for at least easing up a bit.

"Now, do you feel like answering me?"

When I was finally able to focus myself again, I looked up at her. She slammed the cage with her hands and I flinched.

"Why was I sent here?!" she screamed.

_I don't... I don't know._

"Umbreon-"

_Wait! Just listen, please._

I guess the magic word worked, because she didn't utter another word yet.

_If you want answers as to why you are here, you grabbed the wrong guy. I'm hardly even anything special compared to the other beings._

I took a deep, shaky breath.

_I'm just as in the dark as you are about reincarnation. It's not my place to know. Mew knows all about it. But not me. I swear. She won't tell me until I get older._

Sue stared at me menacingly, and breathed out slowly through her nostrils.

"Umbreon, take five," she said. I sighed in relief and she sat before me.

"What of the Night Fury?"

_Come again for Big Fudge?_

She gave me a look. No, not quite as menacing as before, but a, "answer my question before I lose my patience" look. It's not unlike the one Bianca gives you when she asks if you did your homework. Only she wouldn't sic an Umbreon on you if she lost her patience. Probably.

"The Night Fury. Out with it."

_Sue, if I don't know the first thing about your particular situation, how do you expect me to know what that is?_

"Because you're Latios."

_Oh, my God._

"Come on. It's a big black dragon. I think. It's got eyes. I think. It's definitely probably got teeth."

_Keep narrowing it down. Is it bigger than a breadbox?_

"Ooh, it definitely flies. Or something that's a lot like flying. Maybe it falls."

I blinked, and yawned.

"It's the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

_You mean Nicki Minaj?_

"It never steals food, and never misses."

_Is it a crappy pop song? Because that's what it sounds like._

Blame the dragon nip residue on her pants for that gem.

"Come on, Latios. Just tell me. We're all friends here."

_We are? Could've fooled me._

"It's tough love."

_When do we get to the love part?_

"Will you just answer my question, please?"

I was just as confused as you look. I wasn't lying about not knowing. I didn't know what a Night Fury was at that point in time. However, Sue was what many professionals might call, "stupid." At least to a fault. Keep in mind she did manage to capture me and prevent my escape.

Maybe I'm just dumber than she is.

Having said all that, she wasn't going to take another "I don't know" as an answer. I didn't want to be in more pain. So, I decided to make a false statement in the hopes that she would buy it as factual, having nothing else to go on.

Yeah, I totally blew smoke up her ass.

_Alright, I'll tell you. But you need to keep it a secret, okay?_

Sue leaned in towards me, but said nothing. I don't know why she leaned in, considering I was communicating with her telepathically.

_The Night Fury was downed by an exceptionally scrawny human._

She stared. "Okay, Latios. You know why I can't describe what the thing looked like? On account of nobody ever seeing it and living to tell the tale. It never misses, but everybody misses it."

_That race done did run, baby._

"What do you mean?"

_Times be changin' is all. He was knocked out of the sky. Yeah, and-_

"So help me Odin, if you say he was killed..."

_Oh, no. He, uhh... was... tamed...?_

She stared.

_Y-yeah, tamed. And so were the others. There's a truce._

"Other Night Furies?"

_Yes?_

"There are no other Night Furies," she said plainly.

_How could you possibly know that?_

I guess that was the right answer, because she didn't order Umbreon to attack me again.

I can't stress enough that I had no idea of what I was talking about. I just wanted to be spared another nasty headache.

And oh, my goodness. There was a disturbance in the force. I could actually see her future medicine stop working.

"Well, why don't you take a little rest, Latios? I need to meditate on what you told me."

She was shaking when she stood up. She was shaking when she opened the door. She was shaking when she walked through it.

I'm sure she was shaking when she threw stuff across the next room over screaming.

I looked at the Umbreon, which was cringing. Then, I looked down at my water bowl, watching the liquid jump as she had her fit.

What the hell just happened?

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>1,204 words.<strong>

**So, that was fun to write I think.**

**This went far into the HTTYD theme doohickey, but this isn't going to be a cross over. We're not meeting Jay Baruchel. He still owes me my copy of _She's Out Of My League._**

**I have lots of school work this semester. I did a short film last weekend and I have another to do this coming weekend. There's much more to be done, too. **

**Next chapter covers Sue trying to condition Sly and stuff. It might not be a very long chapter either. Also, there's around 6 or so chapters left without trivia.**


	33. Something About Communism

**Chapter 15**

**Something About Communism**

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><p><strong>"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles."<strong>

**-Niccolò Machiavelli**

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><p>Her tantrum continued on for the better part of the night. I don't know if she was mad that she caught the wrong legendary, or if she was mad that I lied my way out of a conversation. All I know is the Umbreon cringed with each loud crash. Part of me wondered just how soundproof this place was.<p>

Seriously. It wouldn't surprise me if Beethoven could hear it on his left side.

"Latios."

I glanced over at the Umbreon that had been hurting me for what felt like forever. There was another scream and a crash, which we both cringed at.

"Uhh... can I get you some food?"

I blinked. "Sorry?"

"Food. You. Are you hungry?"

I heard a cough from the other room and a sob, and then a can hit the floor with a sad little "clunk." I felt a pang of pity for the cuckoo clock.

"Who are you? What did you do with the other Umbreon?"

It blinked. "I'm still me. It's just... seeing how erratic my human is, how weak you're becoming, and how far she seems to be willing to go, I'm starting to wonder something."

Something shattered in the other room, followed by a whiny Sue saying, "Oh, Gods, that was my favorite lava lamp!"

"What are you wondering?" I asked the Umbreon.

"I'm wondering just how much of the story she's been convinced of about you is true. Did you really die?"

Technically once, but I knew that wasn't what he meant.

"No. I really am not the Latios that gave his life all those years ago."

"Then, who are you?"

I heard something hit the ground with a "THWACK!" Sue started to sing, albeit off key. "Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share. Clean up, clean up, something about communism."

"I'm Sly. Sly Stevens," I said.

"For a Latios, you have a human sounding name. And even then, only just."

"I know. Great name. What, are you going to let me free or something?"

It laughed at me. "I should say not! For a few reasons, too."

I blinked.

"First of all," it continued, "I may not believe all she says about you anymore, but I'm still not sure what to make of you. Second of all, even if I wanted to free you, I. Have. No. Thumbs."

I nodded. "That's fair."

"Look," it said. "I'm not going to put my all into any of the attacks I am told to use on you. I'll make them as painless as possible. It's your job, however, to not die. Okay?"

I nodded wordlessly.

"A word of advice?"

Always welcome.

"Cooperate as much as you can with her. Even if it hurts your pride in some way. I know how prideful you dragons can be."

I still maintain that that was racist, you know. Still, at the time, I nodded slowly. The umbreon pushed its food towards me and allowed me to use my greatly weakened powers to take a little bit out of the bowl and into my cage. I only managed half of it, and that was exhausting. Manipulating the tumblers in a lock on the cage? Impossible.

I cringed at the food, but it was all I was likely to get that was edible for a long while. Sue did, to her credit, feed me three meals a day while I was in captivity, and I was never wanting for water. She had a lot of pokémon food.

The foods come for different types. There's food for water types, grass types, bug types, psychic types, dark types, normal types, etc. If a fire type ate the food of a water type, nothing bad would happen to it. It just wouldn't really like the taste. Give a water type the food made specifically for it, and it would be very happy. The best kinds of food for fire types have little bits of these rare hot peppers in them, Chocolate Bhutlah peppers. So you know, they are some of the hottest peppers on the planet. Fire types _love _them.

I do not.

Sue seemed to be under the impression that, since I was a Guardian of Altomare, I must, therefore, eat a little of every type of food. The thing about pokémon foods is, if you mix them together, they taste like absolute trash (well, more so than they already do, in my opinion). So, of those three meals a day, I was usually getting half of one. I couldn't eat those things.

Did I love the food the dark type was giving me? In comparison to the mixture Sue was giving me, it was a feast. What I ate and drank revitalized my powers just a tad. A little life returned to me, and the mark upon my chest got just a slight tint of its color back.

Of course, that's not to say I was out of the woods. I could hardly hold a telepathic link with Sue for long anymore. Contacting Latias would be exhausting, and I dared not try it if this Umbreon had decided to play nice for a while. I didn't want to risk this little reversal of fortune.

"She is coming back. It's good you cleaned the bowl. Remember to cooperate with her."

I tried to, in my defense. But, like he said, pride issues. I had them before I became a Latios too, now that I think about it. Or as my buddy once put it, I have "more baggage than a 747."

She entered the room as the Umbreon said, and I was too tired to really glare at her like I meant it, so I sort of resigned to just staring at her with an appropriate amount of disinterest.

She waved half heartedly to me while she went for a seat as if we were somewhat friendly coworkers.

Once the seat was pulled before my cage, she sat in it and sighed.

"So, Latios."

I didn't have any strength to say something. She took it the wrong way.

"What, ignoring me?"

I blinked, and stared at her. With no way to communicate telepathically at the moment, I used my actual voice.

"Too tired to make snide remarks. Please try again later."

She didn't understand (obviously). This weakness of mine would be an issue in 3, 2...

"Today, I'm going to help you drop a bad habit," she said. I blinked. She put a hand behind her back.

"We've got to make you drop that false name you used in the past, Latios. You ran away. Well, flew away. However, that doesn't mean you can't build up a faith in yourself again. Be proud of your name. Don't go by Sky Stephens or whatever you told me."

I was silent. She leaned forward in her chair and eyed me.

"So, here's what we'll do: I'm going to say Sky. You don't react. If I say 'Latios,' then, well, react."

I mustered the courage and strength to ask a simple question telepathically.

_Or... What?_

"Or what? Or what? Why, that's a good question, my fine feathered friend. Answer appropriately and you, umm, get a pat on the head or something. If you don't, however, we'll just have to condition you to fix that with something I know will terrify you."

I felt my feathers begin to stand up. In my peripheral, the Umbreon got to its feet. I echoed my previous thought.

_Orwhat...?_

"Or... _This!_"

I fully expected an order for the Umbreon to attack me, but the order did not come. Instead, I felt droplets hit me in my face, and these droplets smelled not unlike low tide. When I focused my eyes again (the droplets made me sneeze), Sue was sticking a striped eel into the cage bars with a look of sadistic desire on her face. I blinked.

Sue must've been expecting a far different reaction, because she took the eel away from my face a moment to study it, then stuck it right back into the bars of the cage.

"_This!_" she shrieked. I sniffed at the eel (I was curious if it was similar to the kind I liked back home). Other than that, I had no reaction.

"It's an eel, Latios!"

Not wanting to waste my time and power on telepathy this time, I curtly nodded. She looked completely dejected.

"Why are you not freaked out? I read that eels terrify dragons."

_Not scared._

You may be wondering at the moment why I didn't lead her to think she was terrifying me. I mean, if this was my punishment for refusing to call myself "Latios," why not just go with it instead of bucking for something that could actually be painful?

First of all, my pride issue was there. I didn't want to admit to myself that she had me in the palm of her hand. Second, I know I was _a _Latios, but I was not _the_ Latios. Part of me felt that there was no honor in adopting the name of a great hero like him just to save myself from some kind of torment. Not that it ended up mattering in the long run, because that's what I ended up doing.

I know, spoilers.

Some time later I told Latias the reasoning behind my resistance, and she told me that I was wrong to do that. She says Latios wouldn't want me to risk my life just to try and acknowledge the sanctity of his name.

She let the eel drop to her side and tilted her head. "Are you sure? I mean, if I were in your place I might just be stunned with fear at the moment."

I was silent. She let the eel hit the ground with a squishy "thud."

"Okay, then. Plan B it is. Umbreon, do me a favor? Every time Latios reacts in a way other than how he was instructed, give him a taste of your power."

I saw the Umbreon's jaw fall open a moment, and we exchanged worried glances. It silently offered an apology to me, and I saw its eyes begging me to cooperate. Like I said, though: This was an important battle in my eyes, and I wanted to keep my name. However, Sue had stubbornness issues.

"Are you Sky, or Latios?"

_Sly._

"Umb- Oh, Sly? Hmm, I forgot. Maybe you should, too. Umbreon?"

The pain from whatever attack he ended up using seemed to not bother me as much as when I first got here. I think it was a combination of the fact that he was holding back to a degree, and that my mind wasn't resisting so much. For some reason, a relaxed body and a relaxed psyche both withstand abuse better. Either that or I was starting to die.

I couldn't grasp when it ended, but I was aware I was screaming again.

"Okay, that's good!"

I gasped for breath, and she let me recover a moment.

"Sly? Or Latios?"

_Sly!_

"Umbreon?"

Rinse and repeat. I screamed hard again. It was a miracle the paint wasn't peeling off the walls of houses down the block, even in spite of the soundproof room I was in.

"Sly, or Latios?"

I gasped air heavily, and tears began to well up in my eyes for the first time. The Umbreon eyed me with pity.

_S..._

She said nothing as my telepathic link with her flickered out. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and I tried again.

_SLY._

"Okay, Umbreon?"

I squeezed my eyes shut at the mention of his name and felt myself begin to softly shake. This time, however, there was no attack right away.

"Umbreon, do it."

I peeked through one eye at the Umbreon, and saw it very reluctantly prepare another attack.

And then I felt pain.

My throat was quickly becoming raw, my mind was quickly becoming more and more strung out, and I began to see these very pretty white spots in my field of vision.

When it stopped, my head fell to the floor. The tears fell down my cheeks, and I breathed heavy.

Remember how I said the issues I'd been having with my telepathy were going to be causing a problem?

"Sly, or Latios?"

I tried to respond. I really did. And this time I was going to say it, if only to keep myself going. If it bothered Latios, I'd apologize later, even though part of me figured he wouldn't care.

I couldn't use my powers.

It started simple enough. I tried to say "Latios" to Sue so she would stop harassing me and let me rest, but I just couldn't form my connection. I tried several times but failed at each turn.

There were two possibilities: Sue could either take my silence as acceptance, or as rebellion. My own civil disobedience, if you will. Unfortunately, she seemed to take to the latter.

"Umbreon."

I squeezed my eyes shut, even though the tears burned. However, there was no attack.

"Umbreon, do it!"

I dared to open my eyes again and looked through watery windows at him. I saw him shake his head defiantly at Sue.

Surprisingly, she didn't get mad.

"You think he deserves another chance, huh? Very well."

It sighed in relief and I eyed the dark type in silent gratitude. Sue smacked my cage to get my attention.

"Sly, or Latios?"

Again my telepathy failed. I saw her quickly losing her patience. Before she could say something to Umbreon, however, I pulled my head from the floor and squawked at her. She blinked.

"Latios. Okay? Latios. Please, stop. Latios."

She couldn't understand my language, of course, so she looked to Umbreon.

"Do it."

It shook its head. For a moment I saw rage fill her eyes, but a look of thought washed over her face. She looked at me again, and I squawked again.

"Did we break your telepathy?" she asked. I nodded frantically. She looked back at the Umbreon, which nodded its head at her again.

"So, that's what you're saying, huh? Good boy. The telepathy thing is good too. Less chance of Latias finding you before you're rehabilitated."

Sue picked up the eel, and started for the door. She paused, however, and looked back at me.

"Dinner will be here soon, I think. Talk to you later, Latios."

As soon as the door shut my head hit the floor again, and I tried desperately to regain some of my power. The Umbreon didn't stop me, but it did have to try and irritate me with the one thing it said to me before lying down itself.

"Told you so."

End of Chapter

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><p><strong>2,523 words.<strong>

**Two projects done, but two or three more, not including papers, symposiums, and community service before my semester is up. Fun times.**

**RIP to the 149 people that died on board that plane because their idiot co-pilot decided to kill himself. If you're planning on killing someone else and then killing yourself, kill yourself first.**

**Next chapter covers Latias, Bianca, and Mario looking in the narrowed search area. I think.**


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